Major drug cartel busted: Tiruvallur police nab Senegal kingpin in multi-state raid

In a crackdown on organised crime, Tiruvallur District Police have dismantled a sophisticated interstate synthetic drug cartel, leading to the arrest of over a dozen suspects, including foreign nationals from Nigeria, DR Congo, and Senegal. The operation, spanning Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi, and northeastern states, uncovered a network trafficking methamphetamine, ganja, and cocaine via digital apps and hidden urban drops.

Breakthrough on October 14

The breakthrough came on October 14, when police, acting on a tip-off, apprehended two suspects, Muneer (28), son of Sheik, and Javeed (38), son of Basheer, red-handed with 55 grams of methamphetamine in Manavalanagar.

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A commercial quantity case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered at Manavalanagar Police Station (Cr No. 195/2025). Probes revealed the duo's routine trips to Mumbai for procurement, followed by supplies to Bengaluru and Chennai.

Deepening the investigation, officers nabbed Sibiraj (22), son of Dhanasekar, on October 23. A Chennai-based dance studio owner and Instagram influencer with millions of video views, Sibiraj was caught with 54 grams of the drug, leading to another NDPS case (Cr No. 201/2025). He was remanded to judicial custody.

10 Tamil Nadu residents identified

This prompted the formation of a special team, including inspectors from Ranipet, Vellore, and Tiruvannamalai districts, along with 15 personnel. The probe exposed the cartel's modus operandi: a Delhi-based kingpin orchestrated sales exclusively through WhatsApp. Buyers wired funds to accounts in West Bengal, Nagaland, and Mizoram, receiving GPS coordinates for concealed pickups in cities like Chennai and Bengaluru.

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Further leads identified 10 Tamil Nadu residents who had funnelled money to the network. Ten were arrested in possession of narcotics, including two foreigners: Michael Nnamdi (43), a Nigerian residing in Namakkal, and Kafita Yannick Tshimbo (36), from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The team's pursuit took them to Delhi, where 10 days of surveillance pinpointed the kingpin's Noida hideout. With Delhi Police assistance, they raided the apartment on November 6, arresting Bende (43), son of Wagne, a Senegalese national. Multiple phones loaded with data on supply chains across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and northeastern states were seized.

Kingpin from Senegal in Delhi

North Zone IG Asra Garg IPS elaborated on the operation's intricacies to The Federal, stating, "Investigation into the modus operandi in these cases revealed that the cartel’s kingpin-a foreign national residing in Delhi-conducted his operations exclusively through internet-based applications.

With the assistance of the Delhi Police, the kingpin, namely Bende (age/43) S/o Wagne, a native of Senegal, was arrested with multiple mobile phones containing extensive data relating to drug supply networks in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and some North-Eastern States."

Drugs from northeastern border areas

Investigators say Bende sourced drugs from northeastern border areas, using fake IDs, multiple SIMs, and front businesses like textile shops to launder operations. Produced before a Delhi magistrate, he was granted transit remand and transported to Tiruvallur for proceedings.

Ongoing probes target additional links, including dealers, stash handlers, bankers, and carriers. "This operation underscores our commitment to eradicating drug networks that prey on urban youth," a senior police official stated.

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A senior police officer revealed key details about the cartel's operations, stating, "Investigation revealed that the accused Bende S/o Wagne sourced the contraband from border regions of North-Eastern states and supplied it to urban centres such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai." The network operated using multiple SIM cards, duplicate identities, and frontline businesses-including textile shops-to mask illicit transactions.

Luring customers online

On November 6, 2025, the accused, Bende S/o Wagne, was produced before the Jurisdictional Magistrate in Delhi, a transit warrant was obtained, and he was brought to Tiruvallur for further legal proceedings. It has also been revealed that a few foreign nationals from African countries residing abroad were involved in cultivating customers through various online platforms.

Further investigation is ongoing to trace additional facilitators, including drug dealers, stash handlers, bank-account operatives, and inter-state carriers.