In a major escalation of the probe into a staggering Rs 13,000-crore international drug trafficking racket, the Delhi Police Special Cell is now on the trail of a mysterious figure known only as Rana Tarandeep. This alleged international drug lord has emerged as the latest and most elusive person of interest in the sprawling investigation.
The Elusive Mastermind and the Dubai Cartel
Investigators revealed that Rana Tarandeep is suspected of working hand-in-glove with Dubai-based cartel leader Virender Basoiya, alias Veeru. The police have discovered that Tarandeep was allegedly directing the refinement and processing of smuggled cocaine in Gujarat. A critical piece of evidence came from WhatsApp chats between two arrested accused, which repeatedly mentioned Tarandeep's involvement.
However, a significant mystery remains. "Officers are still investigating whether Tarandeep is the man's real name," a source disclosed. None of the 19 individuals arrested so far have physically met him, deepening the enigma around his identity.
Modus Operandi: Fake Firms and Hawala Networks
The investigation has uncovered a sophisticated web of deception used to move the narcotics. At least three fake companies were established using the identities of unsuspecting rickshaw drivers in South India. These shell firms were later utilized as fronts to transport the drugs.
The financial trail is equally murky. Court documents have exposed that over Rs 73 lakh was funneled through hawala channels to facilitate the operations. The drugs, sourced from South America, entered India via multiple ports in the south before being routed to a firm named Aavkar Drugs in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, for processing.
After being refined, the cocaine was disguised as medical consignments. "These were transported as medicine packages of Pharma Solutions Services via road to Delhi-NCR," an officer involved in the probe explained.
Key Arrests and the Supply Chain
The Special Cell recently scored a major breakthrough with the arrest of a key supplier, Ritik Bajaj, from the UAE. Bajaj, who frequented party circuits in Delhi and Goa, allegedly ran a supply chain for Thai marijuana from Thailand to Basoiya's cartel in India. His biggest order, placed last October, involved 40 kg of drugs for distribution across multiple Indian cities.
Among those arrested is Mayur Desale, a chemist at Pharma Solutions Services. Court records show Desale was in constant touch with Tarandeep, updating him on everything from the colour of the cocaine mixture to the quantity being prepared. Another accused, Amit Kumar Masoriya, acted as a middleman, setting up contracts between Aavkar Drugs and Pharma Solutions after an initial transaction with Tarandeep.
The scale of the bust is monumental. The seizures, which took place in October 2024, included 562 kg of cocaine in Delhi's Mahipalpur, 208 kg in Ramesh Nagar, and a massive 518 kg from the Gujarat factory. In total, the cartel used a network of legitimate pharmaceutical companies and shell firms to smuggle 1,289 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic Thai marijuana.
The Delhi Police has filed a chargesheet running over 10,000 pages in the Patiala House Court, naming 19 accused. As the hunt for the shadowy Rana Tarandeep intensifies, the case continues to reveal the complex, transnational nature of the narcotics trade plaguing the region.
