Authorities in Dubai have apprehended Pawan Thakur, a notorious Indian national allegedly at the helm of a vast international drug trafficking operation. Thakur’s arrest comes swiftly after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized meth drugs valued at ₹282 crore in Delhi, with intelligence pointing to him as the mastermind. He is now expected to be extradited to India to face charges. This development is a crucial step in dismantling a significant drug network. Beyond the recent meth seizure, Thakur is also suspected of orchestrating a massive Rs 2,500-crore cocaine smuggling ring that surfaced in Delhi last year. His international reach was acknowledged by the NCB when they issued a Silver Notice via Interpol in September, marking him as a wanted fugitive. In parallel, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been active, freezing 118 accounts linked to Thakur as part of its money laundering probe. The NCB has described Thakur as a ‘fugitive’ and the central figure responsible for the illegal import, export, and trafficking of cocaine seized in November. Evidence suggests he arranged for drug consignments to enter India via its ports and then coordinated their transport to Delhi by road. His associates were reportedly responsible for warehousing and distributing the drugs within Delhi, while Thakur managed the operation from his base in Dubai. Financial investigations indicate Thakur operates a substantial ‘hawala’ network, using Dubai and Delhi as key operational centers to channel illegal earnings and launder narcotics profits. He is believed to have been operating from Dubai since 2019. A chargesheet has already been filed against Thakur in Delhi, signaling the serious nature of the allegations.
