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India Today
6 days ago
- India Today
Delhi Police busts Rs 100-crore drug syndicate, Cameroonian kingpin arrested
A major international drug syndicate operating out of Delhi has been busted by the Delhi Police Crime Branch, which has arrested five foreign nationals allegedly linked to the network. The accused are citizens of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Cote d'Ivoire, and were apprehended from various locations in the national police seized 2.7 kg of cocaine, 1 kg of MDMA, 1 kg of cannabis, Rs 2.07 lakh in cash, a Honda City car, and forged Aadhaar cards during the operation. The total value of drugs seized so far is estimated to be over Rs 100 syndicate came under the police radar on June 13, when a suspicious parcel was intercepted at a courier office in Moti Nagar, Delhi. A search of the parcel revealed MDMA concealed in a woman's shoes and a suit. Investigations into the parcel led the police to uncover a high-tech drug distribution network with international links. The syndicate was allegedly operated by Callistus, also known as Kalis, based in Nigeria. From there, he coordinated operations across India, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia. In India, the delivery system reportedly mimicked food delivery apps, with orders, location sharing via WhatsApp, and cash collection all managed network operated at three levels: Level A handled stock and data management, led by two individuals named Godwin and Ibe. Level B managed cocaine processing, overseen by a person identified as Philipp. Level C handled ground-level deliveries, carried out by Koulaie and Kelechi. Orders and payments were managed via WhatsApp and hawala syndicate's leader is reported to have used women as couriers to smuggle drugs both within the country and internationally, allegedly to maximise profits and avoid group's earnings from the drug trade were routed to Nigeria through hawala channels. In India, payments were handed over to hawala agents, while in Nigeria, relatives of syndicate members received the equivalent amount in local currency. The syndicate reportedly charged a 5% commission on each five accused arrested in connection with the case are Kameni Philipp from Cameroon, who allegedly managed the Indian network; Colley Philipp from Cote d'Ivoire, identified as a specialist in party drug deliveries; Godwin John, a Nigerian national linked to MDMA supply; Victor, who arrived in India on a medical visa and later worked as a delivery agent; and Austin, who had reportedly been living illegally in India since to police, the syndicate's Delhi-based operations were part of a wider international network using digital tools for managing drug orders and payments. The case is under investigation.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
'Food app-style delivery of drugs': How a Nigerian kingpin ran home delivery cartel across Delhi using women as agents
In a major crackdown, Delhi Police 's crime branch has busted an international drug cartel operating in the capital's party circuits and seized narcotics worth over Rs 100 crore. As reported by TOI, five foreign nationals have been arrested, including the India operations head and three Nigerians. The gang, led by a notorious Nigerian kingpin named Callistus, was running a well-organised network that operated across Delhi-NCR and had links to Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the UK. The cartel was using encrypted WhatsApp chats, forged documents and a call centre-style drug delivery system to operate under the radar. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Public Policy Management Others Design Thinking Data Science MCA Digital Marketing PGDM MBA CXO Leadership Technology others Artificial Intelligence Product Management Operations Management Finance Healthcare Cybersecurity healthcare Project Management Degree Data Analytics Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Drugs, Cash and a Car Seized During the operation, police seized: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Watching Videos Can Boost Your Income TheDaddest Undo 2,700 grams of high-purity Colombian cocaine 1,000 grams of MDMA Over 1 kg of OG ganja A sedan car Rs 2 lakh in cash Mobile phones and passports The investigation began after a suspicious courier parcel was intercepted at a Moti Nagar facility. According to police, the parcel contained 895 grams of MDMA hidden in packages of Indian suits and ladies' shoes. Following the trail of fake addresses and IDs, police reached Kameni Philipp, a Cameroonian national who headed the syndicate's India operations. How the Drug Network Worked Speaking to TOI, Special Commissioner (Crime) Devesh Shrivastava said, 'The cartel used a call centre model through WhatsApp and delivered drugs like food delivery apps using live locations and foot soldiers.' Live Events Interrogation of Kameni Philipp led to the unravelling of the entire cartel's chain. Police then arrested three Nigerian nationals, Godwin John, Kelechi Chikwe and Ibe Chinedu Austin, along with Koulaie Philippe, alias Tall Guy, from Côte d'Ivoire. Women Used as Drug Mules, WhatsApp for Deliveries Additional Commissioner Mangesh Kashyap told TOI that the syndicate used Indian women to smuggle pure cocaine from abroad, banking on their lower risk profile at international airports. Once in India, the drugs were received by Philipp, who passed them to level-A distributors like Godwin John. He adulterated pure cocaine using neutral cutting agents in a 1:4 ratio, turning 1 kg of cocaine into 5 kg of street-level drug. Level-B operatives like Ibe alias Victor would then supply it weekly to level-C peddlers for final delivery to users in Delhi-NCR. Weekly collections were funnelled back up the ladder. What made the cartel more dangerous was its resilience. Police said even if a foot soldier was arrested, handlers in Nigeria maintained centralised customer records, ensuring operations were not affected. Money Laundering Network Also Exposed During the investigation, Delhi Police also unearthed a major money laundering racket. According to DCP Harsh Indora, Indians based in Nigeria who wanted to send money home would pay the drug cartel in Naira, and their families in India would receive the equivalent in rupees, completely bypassing official banking systems. This informal currency exchange network allowed the syndicate to clean its drug money while fulfilling money transfer needs. Police say investigations are still underway, and more arrests could follow. Inputs from TOI
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Cops Bust Int'l Drug Cartel Run On Delivery App Model
New Delhi: Blowing the lid off a major drug ring active in Delhi-NCR's party circuits, Delhi Police crime branch seized cocaine, MDMA and OG ganja worth over Rs 100 crore, and arrested five foreign nationals. The syndicate was led by notorious Nigerian kingpin Callistus and had a highly organised structure, which utilised encrypted WhatsApp channels, forged documents and Indian-based foreign nationals for last-mile drug deliveries. Special commissioner (crime) Devesh Shrivastava said that the syndicate had a presence in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the UK. "They operated using a call centre model via WhatsApp and facilitated food delivery app-style deliveries using live locations through foot soldiers," Shrivastava added. Police seized a sedan and Rs 2 lakh in cash, besides mobiles, passports, 2,700 grams of Colombian cocaine, 1,000 grams of MDMA and over 1 kg of OG ganja. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The operation began with a raid at a courier facility in west Delhi's Moti Nagar, where 895 grams of MDMA, concealed among samples of Indian suits and ladies' shoes packaging, was intercepted. "The parcel's trail was followed through puzzles of fake addresses and different IDs and finally led to Cameroonian national Kameni Philipp, the cartel's India operations head. We seized cocaine in its purest form, which was moulded into compressed bricks with waterproof packaging. His interrogation blew open the cartel's core structure—revealing a tight-knit operation directly linked to Callistus, a Nigerian national controlling the global supply chain from West Africa," said Mangesh Kashyap, additional commissioner (crime). The investigation by ACP Bhagwati Prasad's team led to the arrest of three Nigerian nationals identified as Godwin John, Kelechi Chikwe and Ibe Chinedu Austin, besides Koulaie Philippe, alias Tall Guy, from Cote d'Ivoire. According to Kashyap, the syndicate's modus operandi included smuggling pure cocaine into India using female Indian nationals as carriers, exploiting their lower risk profile at international borders. Upon entry into India, the consignment was received by Philipp, who passed them on to level-A distributors like Godwin John. John chemically adulterated the pure cocaine in a 1:4 ratio using neutral cutting agents, transforming 1 kg of pure cocaine into approximately 5 kg of street-grade cocaine. The adulterated product was then distributed to level-B operatives such as Ibe, alias Victor, who released the stock on a weekly basis to level-C peddlers who conducted final deliveries to end users. Weekly payments were collected from these lower-level operatives and passed up the hierarchy. "Handlers in Nigeria maintained centralised customer databases, ensuring that if a foot soldier was arrested, he could be quickly replaced without loss of customer data or disruption to operations," the additional CP said. The investigation also unravelled a major money laundering operation. According to police, the collected drug proceeds in India were laundered via an informal currency exchange network. "Indians residing in Nigeria who wished to send money to India paid the equivalent amount in Naira to the syndicate. Their relatives in India received the corresponding sum in Indian Rupees, thus bypassing formal banking channels," said DCP Harsh Indora.
News18
6 days ago
- News18
Rs 100 core drug cartel busted by Delhi Police spans across continents
New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) A drug cartel that operated like a call centre from Africa with online delivery based mechanism, and was busted here had links to several countries including Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom, Delhi Police claimed on Friday. Five African nationals have been arrested so far and drugs worth more than Rs 100 crore in the international market were seized in the operation, police said. The syndicate allegedly headed by Nigeria-based kingpin Callistus alias Kalis spanned across continents, they added. Additional Deputy Commisioner of Police (Crime) Mangesh Kashyap, the cartel received operated through a central command in Nigeria, where handlers received orders from Indian-clients via fake call centre numbers and social media and they relayed them to delivery agents based in Delhi. 'Cocaine, MDMA and ganja were trafficked using encrypted messaging apps, forged documents and a structured distribution network of Indian-based African nationals. The cartel's Indian arm operated using a logistics model inspired by food delivery apps. Deliveries were made based on customer's live locations," he said. Investigations revealed that the syndicate maintained detailed ledgers of transactions, with records dating back to 2019 showing monthly sales exceeding Rs 1 crore in areas like Vasant Kunj alone, the officer added. Delivery and cash handoffs were designed to maintain multiple operational layers, insulating the top brass from exposure. To maintain anonymity, delivery agents wore specific markers such as checked shirts and black helmets. Orders were processed through a centralised 'call centre" run from Nigeria, with arrested operatives revealing that if one delivery agent was caught, they were quickly replaced to avoid disruption in the chain. The case came to light on June 13, when police intercepted a suspicious parcel at a courier facility in Moti Nagar and seized 895 grams of MDMA. This led them to Kameni Philipp, who had a fake Cameroonian passport, and he was found in possession of more than two kilograms of pure cocaine molded into waterproof bricks. During interrogation, Philipp revealed that the internal functioning of the cartel, including how UK-based phone numbers were used to mask the origin of instructions and how vehicles were identified using car registration numbers for swift handovers. Philip alias Tall Guy, another delivery agent, operated in South Delhi and Saket and followed instructions received over social media calls. He also disclosed that payments and stock pickups were managed through anonymous drop locations to shield higher-ups. Based on further leads, police arrested three more foreign nationals — Adore, Kelechi Chikwe alias Victor and Ibe Chinedu Austin — from various locations across Delhi A total of 2.7 kilogram of cocaine, 1 kilogram of MDMA, more than 1 kilogram of cannabis and Rs 2.7 lakh in cash were seized from the accused, police said. Adore, who ran the drug hub from a makeshift kitchen in Chhatarpur, disclosed that he had received more than seven kilograms of cocaine from Kalis and laundered the proceeds through through Nigerian shell firms and hawala channels. Forged passports from Nigeria, Cameroon and Cote d'Ivoire were also recovered by the police team. The syndicate allegedly smuggled Colombian cocaine into India using Indian women couriers — believed to have lower risk profile at International airports — and then adulterated the drugs locally to increase yield five fold. Police said the cartel had generated more than Rs 85 crore through its India operations in just the past six months. Separate courier-based channels were used to export MDMA abroad, while hawala networks were employed to launder and remit drug proceeds to Nigeria, police added. Efforts are on to trace other operatives and financial links. Delhi Police has also initiated communication with foreign law enforcement agencies for international coordination, officials said. PTI SSJ SSJ SHS OZ OZ First Published: July 25, 2025, 21:00 IST News agency-feeds Rs 100 core drug cartel busted by Delhi Police spans across continents Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
