Tamil Nadu Police Dismantle Sophisticated Inter-State Drug Cartel, Arrests Foreign Nationals

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In a major breakthrough, Tamil Nadu police have cracked down on a sophisticated inter-state drug cartel, arresting several foreign nationals and local accused involved in the supply of synthetic drugs in the state. The operation, which began in October 2025, was led by Inspector General of Police Asra Garg and involved a special team of senior police officials and over 15 personnel from other districts in the north zone. The police investigation revealed that the cartel, controlled by foreign nationals, was supplying methamphetamine, MDMA, and cocaine to working professionals and college students in Tamil Nadu. The accused would procure the drugs from Mumbai's Dharavi area and supply them in Bengaluru and Chennai. The police identified the kingpin of the cartel as Bende (43), a native of Senegal living in Delhi, who used multiple SIM cards, forged identities, and frontline businesses to mask his illegal trafficking of narcotics. A parallel investigation by the special team revealed that parts of the cartel were being coordinated from inside Puzhal Prison, where foreign prisoners developed contacts with local accused and used them as their associates in the drug supply network. During the 10-day operation in Delhi, the police arrested several individuals, including Michael Nwasah Nnamdi (43) from Nigeria, Kafita Yannick Tshimbombo (36) from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bende. Multiple mobile phones containing extensive data on supply networks across several states were seized during the operation. The police also arrested two drug carriers, Mohammad Afrath (22) and Mohammed Abdullah Asha (28), who were operating along the Bengaluru-Chennai route. The crackdown is a significant achievement for the Tamil Nadu police, who continue to dismantle inter-state and international drug cartels through intensive investigation and coordinated field operations.