CHENNAI: The Tiruvallur district police have arrested a 43-year-old foreign national, identified as Bende, a native of Senegal, who allegedly headed a major inter-state synthetic drug cartel.
He was arrested from an apartment in Delhi after 10 days of surveillance and brought to Tiruvallur on a transit warrant on Thursday. Multiple mobile phones containing data on drug networks in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and the North East were seized from him.
The investigation began on October 14 after the Manavalanagar police in Tiruvallur district caught two men with 55 grams of methamphetamine. Further leads led to the arrest of Chennai-based dance studio owner and Instagram influencer Sibiraj (22) on October 23 with 54 grams of meth.
Investigations revealed that the cartel, run by Bende, operated via internet apps and bank accounts spread across West Bengal, Nagaland, and Mizoram. GPS locations were shared with buyers for pick-up. Ten more people, including two foreign nationals from Nigeria and DR Congo, were arrested in connection with the racket. The police said the gang used duplicate identities and front businesses to conceal their operations.
Further investigation is underway.