In a major breakthrough in the Rs 2,500-crore international drug smuggling case, Delhi hawala operator Pawan Kumar has been arrested in Dubai, marking a significant step forward in the investigation led by Indian enforcement agencies.
According to officials, Pawan Kumar, who operated from Delhi’s Kucha Mahajani Market, frequently travelled between Delhi and Dubai under the guise of expanding his hawala network. Investigators say he was, in fact, running a large-scale narcotics operation from abroad.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had earlier seized 82 kg of cocaine—valued at Rs 2,500 crore—which was smuggled from Dubai to India in November last year. The contraband was intercepted in Delhi, exposing the scale of the international racket.
In a follow-up operation last week, Delhi authorities intercepted another drug consignment worth Rs 282 crore, allegedly linked to Pawan Kumar’s network. Officials said his associates attempted to smuggle the drugs into the city while he continued to control operations from Dubai. With the network expanding across borders, the NCB has now issued an international Silver Notice against Kumar.
The notice is expected to fast-track the investigation into his global assets, foreign links and possible partners involved in the trafficking chain. Simultaneously, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing multiple money-laundering angles connected to the narcotics case. ED sources have confirmed that Pawan Kumar, who was detained in Dubai, is likely to be deported to India soon to face further investigation. Authorities say the arrest is a significant blow to the international drug syndicate and is expected to unravel deeper financial and criminal links in the coming
days.
