New Delhi, March 29 (NationPress) In a significant advancement in the fight against drug trafficking, the Anti-Narcotics Squad (ANS) of Delhi Police has detained a major supplier who is accused of illegally distributing ganja throughout the National Capital Region (NCR), according to officials on Sunday.

The arrest is the result of extensive surveillance, technical analysis, and diligent follow-ups on leads stemming from an earlier investigation conducted under the NDPS Act.

In that earlier case, authorities seized a substantial quantity of narcotics, which included 21 kg and 730 grams of ganja, along with 46 grams of smack, with an estimated market value of approximately Rs 12 lakh.

Officials reported that the capture of this key individual has significantly disrupted an interstate drug network that operated across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.

On the night of March 11-12, acting on credible intelligence, a team from the Anti-Narcotics Squad apprehended two suspects, Akbar (36) and Firoj Khan (41), both from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. The pair was intercepted while riding a scooty with two white bags.

Upon conducting a lawful search, police discovered a total of 21 kg and 730 grams of ganja, classified as a commercial quantity under legal statutes.

Furthermore, approximately 46 grams of smack were found in Firoj Khan's possession.

A case has been filed at the Kalyanpuri Police Station in Delhi under the applicable sections of the NDPS Act, prompting a further investigation.

During interrogation, Firoj Khan, who lives near PAC Chowk in Ghaziabad, revealed that he sourced ganja from a supplier named Aakash Kumar Digal, residing in the Kandhamal district of Odisha, and distributed it in smaller amounts across the Delhi-NCR region.

A police official stated, "It was evident that until the source was apprehended, the flow of psychotropic substances couldn't be halted."

In response, a dedicated team from the Anti-Narcotics Squad, led by Inspector Arun Kumar, was assembled under the close oversight of ACP Operations Pawan Kumar.

Investigators discovered that following the arrest of the two suspects, the identified source had deactivated all his phone numbers. His location was traced to a remote forest area in Kandhamal, complicating the operation.

The ANS team conducted thorough technical analyses and executed multiple raids across various districts in Odisha while keeping a close watch on the suspect's movements.

On March 26, following fresh intelligence, the team successfully located and arrested Aakash Kumar Digal after a brief pursuit from Kandhamal to Bhubaneswar.

After adhering to legal protocols, the accused was transported to Delhi on March 28. Police confirmed that he has been formally charged in the case and is currently being interrogated to identify further connections in the narcotics supply chain.

During questioning, he disclosed that his village is situated in a forested area where ganja grows naturally on hilly land. He noted that the challenging terrain and dense forest cover hinder regular law enforcement checks.

He admitted to recognizing the high demand for ganja in the illegal market and began supplying it to Delhi-NCR. He established contact with Firoj Khan about two to three years ago, subsequently supplying ganja in large quantities.

Police indicated that his main objective was financial gain, as he perceived the illegal ganja trade as a quick means to accumulate wealth. He is suspected to be part of an organized interstate drug syndicate operating for profit.

Ongoing investigations aim to dismantle the entire network.