Archive · 7 Nov 2025
Synthetic Drug Cartel Busted in Tamil Nadu, 14 Arrested
Imagine a secret club that sells special candy.
This club is very tricky and uses hidden messages on phones to talk.
Instead of meeting, people put money in special piggy banks, and then they get secret instructions to find the candy in hidden spots.
The police found out about this club and caught 14 people who were part of it, including some people from other countries.
They found dangerous candies like cocaine and methamphetamine.
The club got its candy from far away places and sold it in big cities.
The police are working hard to stop these secret candy sellers because more kids are starting to use these dangerous candies instead of older ones.
Police in Tamil Nadu busted an interstate synthetic drug cartel involving foreign nationals.
Fourteen people, including three foreigners, were arrested, and cocaine and methamphetamine were seized.
The cartel used encrypted communication and a unique delivery system, avoiding direct contact between buyers and sellers.
Drugs were sourced from Mumbai and northeastern states and distributed in cities like Chennai and Bengaluru.
A foreign kingpin, allegedly lodged in Puzhal Central Prison, is believed to have overseen operations remotely.
- Who
- Police in Tamil Nadu
- What
- Busted a major interstate synthetic drug cartel and arrested 14 individuals, including three foreign nationals.
- When
- Not specified, but described as an intensified action.
- Where
- Tamil Nadu, with supply chains extending to Mumbai, northeastern states, Delhi, Noida, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
- Why
- To disrupt a sophisticated drug trafficking network using advanced methods like encrypted communication and indirect deliveries.
Police Perspective
Cartel Operations
Method of Operation
Police Perspective
The police describe the cartel's operation as a complex, multi-layered network that used encrypted communication on WhatsApp and relied on a unique method of delivery. Buyers deposited money into bank accounts, and drugs were placed in hidden locations with GPS coordinates shared, avoiding direct contact.
Cartel Operations
The cartel operated without direct contact between buyers, sellers, or couriers, utilizing encrypted communication and a unique delivery system involving hidden drop-offs and GPS sharing.
Logistics and Distribution
Police Perspective
Police indicate that the cartel procured narcotics from Mumbai and northeastern states, with couriers navigating the narrow inner lanes of Dharavi and climbing rooftops to reach suppliers, before drugs were distributed in urban centers like Chennai and Bengaluru.
Cartel Operations
The cartel managed a supply chain from Mumbai and northeastern states, distributing drugs in Chennai and Bengaluru, with couriers navigating difficult urban terrain.
Leadership and Control
Police Perspective
Authorities state the network was overseen by a foreign kingpin in Puzhal Central Prison, who allegedly coordinated operations via video conference calls, and a Senegalese handler was arrested after a lengthy operation in Delhi and Noida.
Cartel Operations
The cartel's operations were coordinated by a foreign kingpin incarcerated in Puzhal Central Prison and a key handler, a Senegalese national, who was apprehended in Delhi and Noida.
- Arrested Individuals
- 14 (including 3 foreign nationals)
- Seized Drugs
- Cocaine and Methamphetamine
- Origin of Narcotics
- Mumbai and northeastern states
- Distribution Hubs
- Chennai and Bengaluru
- Key Arrestee Location
- Delhi and Noida
- Kingpin's Location
- Puzhal Central Prison, Chennai