New Delhi, August 15: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has successfully extradited four notorious international drug traffickers as part of its special campaign, ‘Operation Global Hunt.’ This action marks a significant step towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a drug-free India.
According to senior officials, the central government’s diplomatic efforts have reassured several countries that harboring leaders of international drug syndicates poses a serious security threat.
Among the extradited traffickers is Virender Singh Basiya, who was brought back to India from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He is believed to be the mastermind behind an international drug cartel worth approximately ₹13,000 crore.
Additionally, Salim Dola, a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested in Malaysia and subsequently extradited to India via Turkey. Indian agencies also ensured the extradition of Prabhdeep Singh from Azerbaijan and logistics supplier Hrithik Bajaj from the UAE.
The Modi government has adopted a stringent policy against drug networks. Investigative and enforcement agencies are now focusing not only on seizing drug shipments but also on targeting the masterminds operating from abroad.
Since the government declared its goal of making India drug-free, the NCB has intensified its actions against local suppliers, middlemen, distributors, and dealers. However, officials emphasize that to eradicate drug trafficking, agencies must identify the key masterminds controlling these operations from overseas.
The NCB has also ensured that extradition requests are backed by strong evidence, including financial transaction records, digital evidence, and detailed documents related to the alleged roles of the accused in organized drug trafficking. An official stated, “This facilitates the extradition process.”
Furthermore, India has successfully conveyed to the international community the adverse effects and security threats posed by granting asylum to such criminals.
According to officials, the recent success of investigations is primarily due to viewing drug trafficking as an interconnected network. Instead of examining local drug sellers, logistics suppliers, middlemen, and international masterminds separately, the entire chain is analyzed collectively.
Under this strategy, the NCB employs both ‘top-to-bottom’ and ‘bottom-to-top’ approaches. This means that the investigative agency probes from the top-tier masterminds down to the grassroots traffickers and vice versa. The goal of this strategy is not only to arrest traffickers but also to dismantle the entire drug cartel and its mechanisms.
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S.A.K./V.C.
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