Mumbai:
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested a Navi Mumbai resident, alleged to be the kingpin of a “transnational drug syndicate”, after securing his deportation from Malaysia, officials said on Wednesday.
Naveen Chichkar (35) is wanted in multiple cases registered by the NCB, and would be brought to Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, an official said here.
The cartel operated by Chichkar sold drugs worth Rs 1,128 crore in India, including cocaine and hybrid strain hydroponic weed that were sourced from the USA via cargo shipments, he said.
Chichkar was located and arrested in Malaysia following a red-corner notice issued by the NCB, he said.
A team led by NCB zonal director Amit Ghawate succeeded in securing his custody from Malaysia, the official added.
The involvement of the international drug syndicate came to light after the seizure of 200 grams of cocaine hidden in a projector from a parcel being sent from Mumbai to Australia through a courier firm on January 21 this year, he said.
In a follow-up operation of the case, the NCB seized 11.540 kilograms of cocaine, 4.9 kilograms of cannabis and 5.5 kilograms of cannabis gummies from the house of one of the members of the syndicate in Navi Mumbai, he said.
During the investigation, it came to light that a well-oiled international syndicate was involved in trafficking cocaine from the USA to India, and also in its distribution in India and outside, the official added.
The involvement of Clearing House Agents (CHA) and hawala operators also came to the surface during the probe.
“A total of eight accused persons were arrested in connection with the case, and Naveen Chichkar, the kingpin of the syndicate, was tracked in Thailand in 2021 after absconding in a previous case being probed by the NCB regarding trafficking of LSD,” he said.
The NCB had issued a red-corner notice against Chichkar, he said, adding he was subsequently located in Malaysia.
“Accordingly, a correspondence was made with the Malaysian authorities by the Indian government, and Chichkar was detained. A team of NCB officials led by Ghawate secured his custody with the assistance of other national and international agencies from Malaysia,” he said.
Chichkar has been brought to India, and will be taken to Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, where he will be produced before a court, he said.
During the investigation, it came to light that the syndicate was operating for at least one year, and multiple consignments of cocaine to air cargo were received in Mumbai during this period, he said.
“Interrogation of the kingpin brought from Malaysia is likely to reveal more details of his operations, including the source of drugs in the USA,” he said.
Financial investigation in the case has already led to identification of assets, including properties and bank accounts in Thailand, he said, adding efforts are on for attachment of these properties.
Last month, Gurunath Chichkar ended his life by shooting himself in the head with a pistol at his office.
He left a suicide note mentioning that he could not bear the mental stress caused by repeated summons by the NCB officials and the Navi Mumbai Police, as his two sons Naveen and Dhiraj were found to be involved in a drug syndicate.
During the investigation of his suicide, the role of two personnel of the Navi Mumbai police came to light, following which they were placed under arrest.
Besides the two constables, the Navi Mumbai police arrested a total of 10 accused persons, including a Customs superintendent and a former national hockey player, he said.
According to the official, Chichkar has studied criminal psychology in London besides completing a course in film and television.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
