Man arrested for smuggling banned pharmaceutical drugs

New Delhi: A man has been arrested for smuggling 83,090 tablets of banned pharmaceutical drugs and 26,000 packets of prohibited foreign cigarettes. Authorities revealed he was running an international cargo and courier operation, covertly shipping the contraband to Dubai, Australia, and the United States.According to police, intelligence was received about certain international courier services operating out of Mehram Nagar that were allegedly involved in trafficking narcotic tablets and imported cigarettes. Acting on this tip, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Surender Chaudhary formed a team led by Inspector Gajendra Singh. Following a month-long surveillance operation, the team apprehended the suspect, Sanjay Kumar Pandey, from Mehram Nagar. Investigations revealed that Sanjay's brother, Pramod Pandey—currently based in Dubai—had helped establish the courier business. Pramod is absconding in multiple cases related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.Further inquiry uncovered Sanjay's links to Joginder, a former aide of Pramod's in the business. Police said Pramod coordinated from Dubai, communicating with Sanjay and Joginder via encrypted apps. Following his instructions, the duo delivered the contraband to pre-arranged secret locations in Mehram Nagar. To evade detection, they concealed the banned substances in shipments of spices and clothing. These packages were then dispatched via air cargo to other countries.