NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has arrested a 35-year-old man from Sikkim in connection with a Rs 13,000-crore drug trafficking case involving cocaine and Thai marijuana, officials said on Monday.
The accused has been identified as Tilak Prasad Sharma, a resident of Sikkim. He was wanted in a case related to the recovery of 1,290 kg of cocaine and mephedrone, along with 40 kg of Thai marijuana, police said.
This international cartel operated from Pakistan and extended across the UK, Malaysia, Thailand, UAE, India, and several other countries. So far, 17 accused members of the cartel have been arrested, while several others remain absconding, police further said.
Sharma was actively involved in smuggling suitcases containing Thai marijuana from Thailand to India on multiple occasions.
“After landing in Delhi, the contraband-laden suitcases were handed over to Himanshu, an associate of Tushar Goyal. Two suitcases were later recovered from a godown at Mahipalpur, owned by Tushar Goyal,” DCP (Special Cell) Amit Kaushik said.
After the arrest of key cartel members in Delhi in October 2024, the kingpin directed Sharma to travel via Sri Lanka and Nepal before reaching India to evade law enforcement. He was arrested by Nepal Customs with Thai marijuana and lodged in Kathmandu jail. He later escaped during unrest and returned to India, going underground. A Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was issued against him.
On January 5, a Special Cell team traced Sharma to Namchi East, 150 km from his native village in Sikkim. With local police assistance, he was arrested and produced before a local court, later brought to Delhi.
Legal proceedings have been initiated, and efforts continue to trace other absconding members of the syndicate, including international handlers and suppliers.