Op White Strike: NCB seizes cocaine worth Rs1,745 cr in Mumbai

In a major intelligence-driven anti-narcotics operation in recent years, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized 349 kg of high-grade cocaine worth Rs1,745 crore, busting a suspected transnational drug trafficking network active across Mumbai and its surrounding logistics corridor.According to media reports, codenamed Operation White Strike, the operation follows over six months of sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance. Officials said the scale of the seizure is significant, noting that India typically records annual cocaine seizures in the range of 200–300 kg. Investigators are now pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the cartel’s kingpin, handlers, financiers, and intended recipients of the consignment.
Acting on specific intelligence, multiple NCB teams carried out coordinated raids in the Kalamboli–Bhiwandi belt, a key warehousing and logistics hub in the Navi Mumbai–Thane region. The operation exposed a highly organised supply chain using commercial storage infrastructure and sophisticated concealment techniques to move contraband. The action comes days after the deportation of alleged drug trafficker Salim Dola, an associate of Pakistan-based fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, from Turkey.
According to information,in the first operation, NCB officials intercepted a Maruti Suzuki Super Carry (CNG) vehicle near the KWC Warehousing Complex in Kalamboli. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 136 packets of cocaine, each weighing about 1 kg. The contraband was concealed inside cartons, hidden within cricket pads and gloves. One accused was apprehended at the scene.Based on his interrogation, officials traced a second consignment stored at a warehouse in Bhiwandi. A follow-up raid at a facility in Rehnal village resulted in the seizure of an additional 213 kg of cocaine, also packed in one-kg packets.Preliminary findings indicate that the cocaine was smuggled into India concealed within the cavity of imported machinery. Each packet was wrapped in nine layers of polythene, including a coating of black greasy material, likely intended to evade detection. Investigators believe the syndicate leveraged Bhiwandi’s vast warehousing network to store and redistribute the drugs, pointing to a well-structured logistics chain involving import, concealment, storage, and downstream distribution.
Continuing its sustained operation against international narcotics networks, the NCB described the seizure as a major breakthrough in dismantling organised drug syndicates. Announcing the operation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed it a “trailblazing example of a bottom-to-top approach.”Sharing details on X, Shah wrote:
“We are resolved to ruthlessly crush the narcotics cartel.”In another post, he added:“The Narcotics Control Bureau has cracked down on a major international narcotics ring, seizing 349 kg of high-grade cocaine worth `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.”

We are resolved to ruthlessly crush the narcotics cartel.

The @narcoticsbureau has cracked down on a major international narcotics ring seizing 349 kgs of High-Grade cocaine worth Rs.1745 crore in Mumbai. This is a trailblazing example of bottom to top approach where the agency…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 1, 2026