In a significant breakthrough in one of India's largest drug smuggling cases, the Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a key supplier linked to a Dubai-based cartel, over a year after narcotics worth a staggering Rs 13,000 crore were seized in the national capital. The accused, identified as Ritik Bajaj (36), was apprehended from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and brought to India on December 23, 2025.
The International Manhunt and Arrest
The arrest culminated an extensive international manhunt coordinated by Indian agencies. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had secured a Red Corner Notice against Ritik Bajaj from Interpol on October 9. Police investigations revealed that Bajaj had been operating the cartel's Thailand operations for over a decade and was a trusted associate of the alleged mastermind, Virender Basoiya alias Veeru, a Dubai-based businessman funding the syndicate.
"CBI coordinated with NCB Bangkok and got information about travel movement of the subject (Ritik) towards UAE. Thereafter, CBI coordinated with NCB Abu Dhabi to locate the subject," an official statement noted. A dedicated team from Delhi Police then travelled to the UAE to secure his custody.
Unraveling the Rs 13,000 Crore Smuggling Racket
The case dates back to October of the previous year when authorities made a series of massive drug seizures in Delhi and Gujarat. The cartel allegedly used a network of multiple pharmaceutical companies based in South India and Gujarat, including five legitimate firms and three shell companies, as a front for their operations.
The total haul included a colossal 1,289 kilograms of cocaine and 40 kilograms of hydroponic Thai marijuana. The drugs, sourced from South America, transited through Dubai before entering India. According to police, the narcotics were meant to be refined and processed at a firm named Aavkar Drugs in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, before being transported to Delhi-NCR disguised as medical consignments.
The major seizures occurred as follows:
- October 1: 562 kg of cocaine seized in South Delhi's Mahipalpur.
- October 10: 208 kg of cocaine recovered from a shop in West Delhi's Ramesh Nagar.
- October 13: 518 kg of cocaine, valued at Rs 5,000 crore, seized from Aavkar Drugs in Gujarat.
The Cartel's Network and Previous Arrests
Ritik Bajaj's role was specifically linked to the supply of high-grade Thai marijuana. "Ritik was running a Thai marijuana supply chain from Thailand and would regularly send consignments to Virender's cartel boys in India. He had sent drugs weighing 40 kg for distribution in multiple Indian cities last year," a senior police officer explained.
In May, Ritik was declared a 'proclaimed offender' along with four others: Virender Basoiya, his younger son Rishab Basoiya (25), Pramod (50), and Vikas Rane (49) from Mumbai. The police charge sheet, spanning over 10,000 pages and naming 19 individuals, outlines a complex hierarchy. While Rishab oversaw coordination among associates, Vikas Rane was a key customer for distribution at rave parties, and Pramod managed the syndicate's financial transactions.
Prior to this arrest, authorities had already taken 17 people into custody. This included directors of Aavkar Drugs and middlemen who facilitated the illicit logistics under the guise of pharmaceutical trade.
The arrest of Ritik Bajaj marks a critical step in dismantling the international drug network, though investigations into the communication channels between the Indian front companies and the Dubai cartel bosses are ongoing. The case highlights the sophisticated methods employed by transnational syndicates to exploit legitimate business corridors for large-scale narcotics trafficking into India.
