NEW DELHI: The south district police have arrested an alleged narcotics kingpin and uncovered a “chemical kitchen” of sorts that was operating as a factory for manufacturing high-end psychotropic substances like MDMA and heroin. The action to bust synthetic drug distribution in the city led to the arrest of Emmanuel (36), a Nigerian national. He was held with ready-to-sell heroin.The drug lab was inside the suspect’s nondescript house in south Delhi’s Devli area. A huge quantity of raw material required for synthesising the drugs was seized, besides the processed heroin.According to police, around 16 kg of crystalline material and 16 kg of grey grain-like substances used as bases for drug synthesis were stored in the house.
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The haul also included 51 kg of liquids stored in multiple containers and 30 unlabelled glass bottles, all intended for the chemical processing of MDMA and heroin. In total, 113 kg of raw materials was recovered. The heroin and MDMA crystals that could have been made using these chemicals would be worth several crores in the international market.DCP (south) Ankit Chauhan said that the breakthrough came on Jan 20, when a team led by ACP Mukesh Walia and SHO Paras Nath Verma arrested the Nigerian national while he was allegedly on his way to sell the processed heroin. The operation was conducted as part of a drive against organised crime and illegal foreigners.“The police teams were on foot patrol when they spotted the suspect. His attempt to evade the police backfired, leading to a search that revealed the cache of premium heroin worth over a crore. However, as the interrogation deepened, it transitioned from a routine drug bust to the uncovering of a sophisticated manufacturing nexus,” said a senior police officer.During the raid at his house, the cops stumbled upon the chemicals stored in multiple containers. This massive haul of precursors suggests that the accused was not merely a foot soldier or a distributor, but a “cook” or supplier in a larger Nigerian gang operation. According to the investigators, the ability to transform raw, industrial-grade chemicals into “high-quality” heroin and MDMA marks a shift from simple smuggling to local production, making this bust significant for Delhi Police. Emmanual had been living in India illegally. By hiding in the dense residential pockets of Devli, he managed to operate under the radar. An FIR has been registered against him under the NDPS Act. Cops are conducting an in-depth investigation as the sheer volume of seizure indicates links to an international cartel. Special CP Madhup Tiwari has formed a team under joint CP Sanjay Jain to bust the supply chain and trace the absconding members of this gang.
