Mumbai: In one of the largest drug seizures in India’s history, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled a major international cocaine trafficking network under Operation White Strike, recovering 349 kilograms of high-grade cocaine valued at approximately ₹1,745 crore (around $210 million).
Intelligence-Led Crackdown
The operation, which spanned over six months, was based on sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance. It culminated in coordinated raids across key logistics hubs in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
Acting on specific inputs, NCB teams conducted simultaneous searches in the Kalamboli Bhiwandi corridor, a vital warehousing and transport belt linking Navi Mumbai and Thane. Investigators uncovered a highly organized transnational network using advanced concealment and distribution methods.
India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the agency’s efforts, stating that the government is “fully committed to ruthlessly crushing drug cartels.” He described the operation as a classic example of a “bottom-to-top” investigation, where a small lead helped expose an extensive criminal syndicate.
The operation also reflects the government’s zero-tolerance stance on narcotics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Two-Phase Seizure
In the first phase, NCB officers intercepted a vehicle near a warehouse complex in Kalamboli and recovered 136 packets of cocaine, each weighing about one kilogram. The drugs were cleverly concealed inside cricket pads and gloves packed in cartons. One accused was arrested on the spot.
Further interrogation led officials to a second location in Bhiwandi. A follow-up raid at a warehouse in Rehnal village resulted in the seizure of an additional 213 kilograms of cocaine.
Sophisticated Smuggling Methods
Preliminary findings indicate that the cocaine was smuggled into India hidden within the internal cavities of imported machinery. Each packet was wrapped in nine layers of packaging, including a coating of black greasy material designed to evade detection.
Authorities said the bust exposed a well-structured logistics chain involving international suppliers, local storage hubs, and distribution networks.
Investigation Ongoing
The NCB has launched a wider probe to identify and arrest the masterminds, financiers, and recipients linked to the consignment.
Officials highlighted the significance of the seizure, noting that India typically records annual cocaine seizures of 200–300 kilograms, making this operation a landmark achievement in the country’s anti-narcotics efforts.
