Delhi Police seizes drugs worth Rs 2 cr meant for New Year parties

Delhi Police seized 3.68 kg of ‘Malana Cream’, arresting Gopal Chauhan and two Portuguese nationals involved in drug distribution to Goa and South India.

New Delhi: In a major crackdown, the Delhi Police Crime Branch dismantled a drug syndicate smuggling ‘Malana cream’, a premium form of charas (marijuana) just ahead of the year end.
Three people, including two Portuguese nationals were arrested by the Delhi Police.

The operation carried out as part of ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ resulted in the seizure of 3.68 kg of high-quality ‘Malana Cream’ worth approximately Rs 2 crores in the international market.

According to the police, on 18 December, a tip-off was received regarding a man named Gopal Chauhan, who was coming to Delhi after procuring Malana Cream from Himachal Pradesh for onward distribution to Goa.

After which a trap was laid which resulted into Chauhan’s arrest. Further investigation resulted into the arrests of two portuguese nationals- Joo Fernandes and Jordan Furtado.

“Joo Fernandes has the status of Anglo-Indian. He shifted himself from Goa to Himachal Pradesh for procuring charas only so that he can directly supply it to Goa and to some South Indian states for profit”, said Delhi Police.

Similarly, Furtado, also a Portuguese national, was the primary receiver of the drugs in Goa, where he intended to sell it at rave parties.

Often dubbed as ‘Black gold’, Malana cream is a premium quality of charas harvested in the peaks of Malana village (Kullu district) and has become a high-demand drug across the national capital.

A Delhi Police officer who has been dealing with the cases of narcotics told The Sunday Guardian that, “Most of the charas that we recover in Delhi is usually coming from Himachal Pradesh, specifically from the Parvati valley. There are several people/gangs involved in this with big networks. Malana cream is in high demand. We usually witness a spike in its supply during festive season and at the end of the year.”

A few days earlier, three men were arrested by the Delhi Police and Malana cream worth Rs 1.5 crore was recovered from them which they intended for supply at various New Year’s parties in Delhi.