Operation Kavach: 1,483 arrested, major drug networks hit in 48-hour sweep

New Delhi: Delhi Police concluded the 13th edition of Operation Kavach, a 48-hour sweep aimed at disrupting criminal networks and their support infrastructure across the city.

The operation, from March 29-31, saw over 1,000 specialised teams from 15 districts, the crime branch and the special cell conducting raids at 3,211 locations, many of them simultaneously.

The crackdown, monitored by police commissioner Satish Golchha, resulted in over 1,483 arrests of drug traffickers and those linked to criminal gangs, and seizure of cocaine, heroin and ganja.

The operation led to the arrests of 267 narco-offenders, wanted in 229 cases filed under the NDPS Act.

Authorities seized a diverse and substantial cache of contraband, including 100 kilograms of ganja, over a kilogram of cocaine, and significant quantities of heroin, MDMA and amphetamines.

The crackdown targeted the larger ecosystem of urban crime. The cops detained 41,394 people under Delhi Police Act, and nearly 5,700 “bad characters” or history-sheeters were subjected to rigorous activity checks.

The operation also took a hard line against public disorder and illegal sales -- 429 people were arrested for excise violations, and 3,545 were apprehended for drinking in public places. The enforcement of Arms Act led to the recovery of 19 pistols and 191 knives, while 528 people were arrested in connection with illegal gambling.

These figures suggest a strategy designed not just to seize illicit goods, but to saturate criminal hotspots and reclaim public spaces from organised elements.

Among the most notable successes of the 48-hour window were the targeted arrests of foreign nationals and high-level traffickers. In Mehrauli, a team led by the South district special staff arrested John Chibuike, a Nigerian, in possession of over a kilogram of cocaine. In Uttam Nagar, the anti-narcotics cell apprehended Cosmas Nwokeocha with commercial quantities of amphetamine.

These arrests highlight the international dimensions of the city’s drug trade. On the local front, the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) dismantled a heroin supply chain involving people named Muskan and Gungun, leading to the recovery of over 400 grams of heroin.

In Okhla, police intercepted a suspect carrying both ammunition and medical narcotics, including Buprenorphine and Pheniramine Maleate injections, illustrating the dangerous intersection of pharmaceutical abuse and violent crime.

A revealing aspect of Delhi Police’s analysis is the shifting tactical landscape of the underworld in response to the Kavach drives. After the crackdown, the intelligence gathered indicates that major drug traffickers are moving their operations underground. To evade the high-pressure environment within Delhi, major players have reportedly established storehouses in adjacent NCR areas, cops said.