Authorities have uncovered a significant drug supply chain trafficking synthetic drugs from Thailand to college campuses across India, disrupting a dangerous network that used student travelers and courier services to transport narcotics, officials said. The bust highlights rising concerns about drug abuse among youth and sophisticated cross-border smuggling tactics.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in collaboration with local enforcement units, intercepted multiple consignments of hydroponic ganja and synthetic drugs valued at over Rs 70 crore, seizing 72 kilograms in operations spanning Bengaluru, Delhi, and Bhopal. Several arrests were made, including a key mastermind and five drug mules, mostly unemployed or underemployed youth recruited via social media and enticed with paid trips to Thailand to smuggle narcotics back home.
Investigations revealed that these youth connected with international suppliers in Thailand—who supplied high-potency synthetic marijuana and other narcotics—via online networks and courier parcels exploiting loopholes in parcel security systems. A Nigerian national identified as the central supplier runs a drug network stretching across 30 Indian locations, indicating a well-organized infrastructure.
“This bust marks a crucial step in dismantling a complex operation targeting vulnerable youth and college campuses,” said a DRI spokesperson. Police are now intensifying efforts to track additional operatives and raise awareness on drug abuse risks.
Experts warn that the synthetic drug trade’s increasing sophistication, using international travel and courier mediums, requires coordinated national and international law enforcement strategies. Government bodies have flagged the issue with Thai authorities and are reinforcing anti-narcotics task forces aimed at protecting youth and campuses.
