On November 25, the Indian Coast Guard seized a huge consignment of drugs from a fishing trawler in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Taking to X, the Coast Guard said, ‘this major drug haul marks the largest maritime seizure in India’s domain, showcasing exceptional coordination and vigilance.’
In all, Methamphetamine weighing 6,000 kilograms valued at Rs 36,000 crore was seized, officials said.
Just looking at the massive proportion and quality of the drugs that were seized, it becomes clear that no small-time player was involved in this operation. It is the big boys at play; an officer told Organiser while adding that it could most likely be the doing of the notorious El Mencho syndicate that operates from Mexico. The El Mencho syndicate operates with the Chinese cartel led by Tse Chi Lop, who is also known as Chinese El Chapo.
International players
While the Indian Coast Guard did carry out a very successful operation, the worry for the Indian security agencies is that big players are operating on its shores. El Mencho operates the notorious drug cartel Jalisco New Generation from Mexico. He has joined hands with the cartel run by Chinese El Chapo to operate in this part of the world.
The presence of these cartels in Indian waters was found in the year 2019, as well as when similar drugs were seized from the Andaman Sea. The two cartels used six Myanmarese to undertake this operation. They have been booked under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985 and the Foreigners Act, 1946.
However, the six arrested persons have not revealed anything about their connection to the cartels. Their phones have been seized, and the agencies are working to retrieve the data from it so that more leads could be obtained.
During the operation, the agencies also seized a satellite phone, which only shows that this was a major operation at work. Officials also suspect that the international cartels were at play in this operation because of several reasons. One is the quantity and quality of the Meth that was seized. The smart hiding of the drugs, the route taken by the trawler, which is close to Myanmar as well as Thailand, shows that this was not a small operation, but a very large one which only international cartels can undertake.
Operation Thailand
Initial investigations have found that a majority of the consignment was meant to reach Thailand, where there is immense demand for the seized substance. Methamphetamine, or Meth, is a popular drug and is used to enhance performance and recreation. The demand for Meth goes up during Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The fishing trawler which was intercepted may have been Thailand-bound and could have drifted into Indian waters, investigating officers say.
Another investigating officer said that nothing is conclusive as of now, and the investigations are at a very early stage. In addition to this, Mexican and Chinese cartels, there are many in the country who indulge in this trade, and hence, the local angles are also being probed.
The Coast Guard has not only been dealing with drug cartels in the Indian waters. The vigilance is high following sightings of Rohingya boars and Myanmarese poaching vessels in the region, officials point out.
Bharat’s war on drugs
Busting this network was a feather in the cap of the agencies who have waged a war against the drug trade. This operation has also contributed a lot to breaking the syndicate’s reach in Thailand.
Currently, the authorities are working to break the networks of the international drug cartels which are smuggling Meth on routes that connect Southeast Asia, Myanmar and Bharat.
Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, the Director General of Police for the archipelago, said that this is the single biggest seizure of drugs in India’s maritime history. The recent increase in drug activities in the region is a matter of concern, but we are committed to increasing vigilance and taking firmer steps.
Dhaliwal further said that the authorities are sending a clear message to international drug cartels, and Bharat will not sit back in the global war on drugs. We have shown that we will not accept this kind of illegal activity on our waters, he also added.
The El Mencho cartel
Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes is commonly referred to as El Mencho. He is a Mexican drug lord who was born in the year 1966. He runs the organised crime group called Jalisco New Generation Cartel and is wanted both in Mexico and the United States.
He is wanted for drug trafficking, organised crimes and undocumented possession of firearms. He is responsible for coordinating global drug trafficking operations, and under his command, the cartel became the leading criminal organisation.
In February 2022, there were unconfirmed reports of his death from respiratory arrest. However, the US Drug Administration agent Kyle Mori, who heads the search for El Mencho, denied the rumours of his death.
The Chinese El Chapo cartel
Tse Chi Lop, commonly known as the Chinese El Chapo, is a Chinese-Canadian drug trafficker. His cartel largely looks after the Asia Pacific sector and coordinates with El Mencho. His cartel is called The Company.
He immigrated to Canada from China in 1988 and acquired Canadian citizenship through naturalisation. He was arrested and sentenced to nine years in jail by a US court. After his release, he moved to Hong Kong and indulged in synthetic drug trafficking.
Tse’s business grew so rapidly that his cartel controlled nearly 70 per cent of the Asia Pacific market.
In 2020 he entered Taiwan as a visitor before the outbreak of COVID-19. He then extended his visitor status. However, the police put him on surveillance. A year later, he was deported to the Netherlands. Following a request from Australia, a Dutch court extradited him.
