In one of the biggest anti-drug operations in recent years, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has uncovered an international drug trafficking syndicate and seized 349 kilograms of high-grade cocaine worth an estimated ₹1,745 crore.
The operation, code-named Operation White Strike, was carried out after nearly six months of intelligence gathering and surveillance.
Officials said coordinated raids were conducted across Mumbai’s connected logistics corridors, especially in Navi Mumbai and the Kalamboli-Bhiwandi region. Investigators suspect the syndicate was using warehouses and transport routes to store and distribute narcotics across multiple locations.
The breakthrough came after NCB tracked a smaller consignment that eventually led officers to the larger network.
During the first raid, officials intercepted a Maruti Suzuki Super Carry vehicle near the KWC Warehousing Complex in Kalamboli. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 136 packets of cocaine, each weighing around one kilogram.
The contraband had been hidden inside cricket pads and gloves. One accused person was arrested on the spot.
Based on information gathered during questioning, NCB teams conducted a second raid at a warehouse in Bhiwandi, located at Laksh Compound near Rehnal village. There, officers recovered 213 additional packets of cocaine, taking the total seizure to 349 kilograms.
Preliminary findings suggest the cocaine was smuggled into India using advanced concealment techniques. Officials said the drugs were hidden inside cavities made within machinery and packed in nine separate layers, including a coating of black greasy material to avoid detection.
Investigators believe the Bhiwandi warehouse network played a key role in storing and forwarding the drugs through a planned supply chain involving several people.
The agency is now searching for the alleged mastermind, financiers and other members of the syndicate. More arrests are expected.
Reacting to the operation, the Union Home Minister praised the NCB team and said the government remains committed to a strict anti-drug policy and the complete dismantling of such criminal networks.
The seizure is being seen as a landmark success, as India usually records annual cocaine seizures of around 200 to 300 kilograms.