NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has busted an international drug cartel and arrested an ex-Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) officer, seizing over 21 kg of high-grade hydroponic marijuana worth Rs 27 crore, officials said on Wednesday.
Rohit Kumar Sharma, a 35-year-old former inspector with the CBIC, was arrested during a late-night operation in Janakpuri, southwest Delhi, a police official said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said that on the intervening night of October 13 and 14, a tip-off was received about an international syndicate supplying hydroponic marijuana in Delhi.
The information suggested that the cartel’s key supplier would deliver a major consignment near Janak Cinema.
“A trap was laid and Sharma was apprehended. A total of 21.512 kg of ocean-grown weed, Rs 44.42 lakh cash, an SUV and a scooter were recovered from his possession,” the DCP said.
“It is popular among affluent users and party circles and is usually imported from Thailand through international courier routes,” a police statement said.
According to the police, Sharma, a resident of Najafgarh, completed his B.Tech in Electronics Engineering in 2012 and joined the Central Excise Department in 2015. During his posting at Kannur Airport, Kerala, in 2019, he was arrested for his alleged role in a three kg gold smuggling case and was later booked in an NDPS case by the DRI. Following a departmental inquiry, he was dismissed from service in 2023.
“After his dismissal, Sharma tried his hand at property dealing but soon shifted to narcotics trafficking after moving to Dubai, where he came into contact with Abhishek. Together, they conspired to import hydroponic marijuana from Thailand into India. Sharma used his deep-rooted connections within the customs department to ensure that carriers bringing the contraband into India were cleared without checks,” the DCP said.
“The contraband was cleverly concealed in packets disguised as food items to bypass scanners. Once in India, Sharma received the consignments and supplied them to party organisers, dealers and high-end customers in Delhi-NCR and other metros. The illegal proceeds were laundered through hawala channels and cryptocurrency transactions routed to Dubai,” Yadav added.
The entire operation was controlled by an international cartel based in Dubai and Thailand. Consignments originated from Bangkok, reached low-footfall airports such as Guwahati via air routes, and were then transported to Delhi through courier networks. Proceeds from drug sales were converted to cryptocurrency (USDT) and transferred to Dubai through hawala channels to mask the money trail, a police official said.
From excise officer to drug trafficker
Sharma, a resident of Najafgarh, holds a B.Tech degree in Electronics Engineering (2012) and joined the Central Excise Department in 2015. During his posting at Kannur Airport in 2019, he was arrested for his alleged involvement in a three kg gold smuggling case and was later booked in an NDPS case by the DRI. Following a departmental inquiry, he was dismissed from service in 2023.
