01 May,2026 08:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The seizure was part of an operation, named “White Strike", an official statement said. Pic/NCB
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized 349 kilograms of high-grade cocaine worth Rs 1,745 crore near Mumbai, following which Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the agency for the major seizure and vowed to crackdown on drug cartels.
Officials described the operation as one of the largest drug seizures in recent times.
In a post shared on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government is determined to "ruthlessly crush the narcotics cartel".
The operation, named "White Strike", took place in Mumbai and nearby areas, an official statement said.
The success followed more than six months of intelligence gathering and surveillance. Acting on specific inputs, NCB teams carried out coordinated raids in the Navi Mumbai-Thane region, especially along the Kalamboli-Bhiwandi logistics corridor, it said.
Investigations so far has revealed that it was a well-organised international drug trafficking network using warehouses and hidden transport systems, officials said.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out in two stages. In the first raid, NCB officers intercepted a vehicle near a warehousing complex in Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai. A search led to the discovery of 136 packets of cocaine, each weighing about 1 kg.
The drugs were hidden inside cartons using cricket pads and gloves to avoid detection. One person was arrested at the spot.
Investigating further and based on further questioning, officials uncovered a second stash in Bhiwandi, a key warehousing hub. A follow-up raid recovered an additional 213 packets of cocaine from a warehouse, bringing the total to 349 kg, the statement said.
Investigators found that the cocaine had been concealed inside imported machinery. Each packet was wrapped in multiple layers of polythene, including a layer coated with a greasy substance to avoid detection.
The officials stated that it is believed that the operations involved a structured supply chain, including import, storage, and distribution through warehouse networks.
NCB officials are now working to identify and arrest the key figures behind the network, including the main organiser, financiers, and receivers.
Announcing the seizure on X, Shah said, "We are resolved to ruthlessly crush the narcotics cartel."
"The Narcotics Control Bureau has cracked down on a major international narcotics ring, seizing 349 kg of high-grade cocaine worth Rs 1,745 crore in Mumbai. This is a trailblazing example of a bottom-to-top approach where the agency traced back a smaller consignment to net a massive network. Congratulations to team NCB for this monumental success," Shah said.
The operation was carried out under the broader anti-drug policy of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the officials said.
The seizure comes days after Salim Dola, a drug trafficker and aide of international terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, was brought to India from Turkiye.
Meanwhile, a Mumbai court on Thursday remanded alleged drug trafficker Salim Dola to the custody of NCB until May 8 in connection with a 2023 drug seizure case
