New Delhi, May 29: In a major breakthrough, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested Jameel Ahmad, the alleged mastermind of a major drug trafficking syndicate who had been absconding for six years, it said on Thursday.

Ahmad’s arrest marks a significant milestone in the Delhi Police's ongoing crackdown on narcotics under its 'Zero Tolerance' policy and the broader objectives of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA).

The case dates back to June 2019, when the then Narcotics Cell (now ANTF) of the Crime Branch seized 500 kg of ganja from a truck at Metcalfe Bus Stand, Kashmere Gate. Three persons -- Aslam Khan and Mausam Khan, both from Nuh district in Haryana, and Jakam Khan from Alwar, Rajasthan -- were arrested in connection with the consignment.

They revealed during interrogation that the ganja had been procured from Odisha at the behest of Jameel Ahmad, a resident of Pinangwan village in Nuh, Haryana.

A chargesheet was filed against the three arrested individuals, and their trial is ongoing. Despite multiple efforts by the police and the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea Ahmad remained untraceable for years.

In early 2025, a fresh team was formed to pursue the case.

After sustained efforts and intelligence gathering, the team located and arrested Jameel Ahmad on May 8 at his residence in Pinangwan village.

Investigations revealed that after the 2019 arrests, Ahmad had fled to Mumbai and took up work in event management. To evade arrest, he frequently changed his mobile phone and rarely visited home, though he occasionally returned to see his children.

During interrogation, Ahmad disclosed that he had procured the ganja from two individuals -- Gabriel and Paul -- both residents of Odisha.

A police team was dispatched to Tikmala village in Gajapati district, Odisha, to track them down.

Gabriel was found to be a known drug smuggler who cultivated ganja in the nearby hills and had previously been arrested in 2020 by PS R. Udaygiri for cultivating ganja worth Rs 17 crore. His search is currently ongoing.

The arrest of Jameel Ahmad is being hailed as a major success for the ANTF, further strengthening its efforts to dismantle drug networks operating across states.

(IANS)

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