India’s Narcotics Bureau Busts Drug Cartel With Links To US

India-West Staff Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC — In one of the largest crackdowns on an international pharmaceutical trafficking syndicate, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested eight individuals and triggered enforcement actions across the United States, Australia, and Europe. The operation, dubbed Med Max, unraveled a sophisticated drug smuggling network that spanned over 10 countries and four continents.

The probe began on May 25 with the interception of a car near Delhi’s Mandi House, where NCB officials seized 3.7 kg of Tramadol tablets from two B. Pharma graduates. Their confessions led investigators to suppliers in Roorkee, handlers in Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, and a logistics coordinator in Udupi. Data recovered from Udupi revealed 50 international shipments, mostly within the U.S. and Australia.

The NCB coordinated with international partners to trace the network’s global footprint. A major breakthrough came in Alabama, where the U.S. DEA arrested a key re-shipper and seized over 17,000 controlled pills, cryptocurrency wallets, and active parcels. In Australia, law enforcement dismantled an illicit pill-manufacturing facility linked to the cartel.

An unnamed Indian American man involved in laundering funds is now facing indictment in the U.S.

Officials said the cartel relied on encrypted platforms like Telegram, anonymous drop shipping, and payments through crypto, PayPal, and Western Union. The mastermind, operating out of the UAE, ran operations through a fake vendor profile on a B2B platform and a call center in Udupi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the NCB for the operation, saying the Modi government is committed to dismantling every drug cartel, regardless of where it operates. Financial and cybercrime investigations are ongoing, with further arrests expected.