Fugitive drug cartel boss Virender Singh Basoya extradited from UAE

In a significant success in the fight against transnational narcotics syndicates, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has secured the return to India of wanted fugitive Virender Singh Basoya @ Viru @ Basoya, a resident of  Delhi from UAE. He was taken into custody upon his arrival at IGI Airport, New Delhi on Friday morning. Basoya had been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in June 2026 pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice published at the request of NCB. His return to India was secured through sustained coordination with the UAE authorities by Indian agencies. 

VIDEO | Delhi: Drug kingpin Virender Singh Basoya in NCB custody following INTERPOL Red Notice.

He was arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in June 2026 pursuant to an INTERPOL Red Notice issued at the request of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). His return to India was… pic.twitter.com/Ogzt0rpWco

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 14, 2026

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said “Modi govt is relentlessly tracking down drug traffickers hiding abroad and destroying their entire ecosystem with a ruthless approach. Creating a new milestone in the policy of zero tolerance against narcotics, the NCB secured the return of fugitive drug kingpin Virender Singh Basoya from the UAE. By tracing the criminal through a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach, our agencies have once again proven that no matter where drug traffickers hide, they cannot escape the long arm of Indian law.”

Modi govt is relentlessly tracking down drug traffickers hiding abroad and destroying their entire ecosystem with a ruthless approach.

Creating a new milestone in the policy of zero tolerance against narcotics, the NCB secured the return of fugitive drug kingpin Virender Singh…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 14, 2026

The case originated in Pune in February 2024, when Pune City Police seized 500 grams of Mephedrone. Thereafter, adopting a top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach, the investigation was expanded to identify and dismantle the entire drug trafficking network. Subsequent investigation and follow-up operations resulted in the recovery of approximately 867 kg of Mephedrone from Pune and 970 kg from Delhi, taking the total recovery to approximately 1,837 kg of Mephedrone. The case was subsequently transferred to the Mumbai Zonal Unit of NCB for further investigation. Basoya emerged as a key mastermind following one of the largest drug seizures in recent history, involving cocaine shipments valued in excess of Rs5,000 crore.
As law enforcement agencies closed in on the syndicate's distribution networks, Basoya fled the country to evade arrest. Following detailed investigative trails, a Delhi court had previously issued a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against him, enabling Indian agencies to initiate red notices and pursue extradition proceedings through diplomatic and international policing channels in the UAE. Basoya also figures in a separate Delhi Police Special Cell case relating to international cocaine trafficking. In October 2024, the Special Cell of Delhi Police busted a major drug trafficking cartel, leading to multiple seizures from godowns and other premises in Delhi, Hapur and Ghaziabad, as well as from a factory in Ankleshwar, Gujarat. The coordinated operations resulted in the recovery of more than 1,300 kg of cocaine, Mephedrone and hydroponic weed. Investigation into the cartel revealed Basoya’s alleged role in coordinating the procurement, transportation, storage and distribution of cocaine and other drugs.