A huge drug cartel, allegedly the largest in India, has been busted by the Mumbai Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), with six people being linked to it arrested. Officials said that the cartel, majorly run by well-educated people, has sold drugs worth around Rs 1,128 crore across the country in the last two years.

According to the police, a resident of Navi Mumbai who is living abroad, Naveen Chichkar, is the kingpin of the drug trade and has been operating the cartel through his associates over the years. Chichkar has studied Criminal Psychology and completed a course in Film and Television in London. He is currently on the run.

Three other people arrested in the case have also studied abroad, officials said.

The cartel deals in cocaine and hybrid strain hydroponic weed. These drugs are brought to Mumbai through air cargo from the US and delivered across the country, sources said. Some of the drugs were also sold to Australia, they added.

How cops busted the drug cartel

Police said that the NCB officials found the source of smuggling in Mumbai through technical and human intelligence on January 1. Investigation into the case revealed that the accused have sold at least 80 to 90 kg of cocaine and around 60 kg of hybrid strain hydroponic weed in the last two years.

The officials have arrested a 30-year-old Hawala operator, H Patel, and a trader, H Mane, from Navi Mumbai. Hawala is an informal and traditional method of transferring money without physical movement. The duo used to sell the drugs across the country, and the money earned from it was distributed among the operators.

Cops have also recovered 11.540 kg of very high-grade cocaine, 4.9 kg of hybrid strain hydroponic weed, 200 packets (5.5 kg) of cannabis gummies, and Rs 1,60,000 cash from Navi Mumbai.