Operation WHITE STRIKE: NCB Busts Major Cocaine Syndicate in Mumbai, Seizes 349 kg

📌 Summary:

• NCB under Operation WHITE STRIKE seized 349 kg of high-grade cocaine worth ~Rs 1,745 crore; busted transnational cocaine trafficking syndicate in Mumbai region
• Operation: 6+ months of sustained intelligence development; coordinated strikes in Kalamboli-Bhiwandi corridor (Navi Mumbai-Thane)
• Two-stage seizure: (1) KWC Warehousing Complex, Kalamboli — 136 kg cocaine in cartons concealed using cricket pads; (2) Bhiwandi warehouse (Laxman Compound, Rehnal Gaon) — additional 213 kg
• Sophisticated concealment: cocaine hidden inside machine cavity of imported machinery; each packet wrapped in 9 polythene layers including black greasy substance
• Structured logistics chain: import of machinery with concealed cocaine → warehouse storage in Bhiwandi → downstream supply
• Significance: India seizes only 200-300 kg cocaine on average per year; this single operation exceeded that
• Investigation ongoing to apprehend kingpin, handlers, financiers, and intended receivers

📌 Prelims Facts:

• NCB = Narcotics Control Bureau; apex narcotics enforcement agency under Ministry of Home Affairs
• NDPS Act, 1985 = Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (legal basis for such operations)
• Annual cocaine seizure in India: 200-300 kg average; this operation alone: 349 kg