Bethany 
In what seems like a script from a crime thriller, the Delhi Crime Branch has uncovered a dark and daring operation that smuggled opium internationally, disguised as herbal digestive tablets. The bust has shocked law enforcement and public health officials alike, not just because of the narcotics involved, but due to the method, cunning, low-profile, and disturbingly effective.
On May 22, 2025, suspicion was raised around a routine parcel that turned into a chilling discovery. Packed with the clothes and chocolates, the parcel contained “digestive tablets” that turned out to be carefully molded opium pills, masked to resemble Anardana Goli, a common Indian herbal remedy known for aiding digestion. The opium was processed, shaped, and boxed to appear indistinguishable from genuine Ayurvedic tablets. This deception was sophisticated enough to be missed by experienced customs officers as well.
This investigation led to officers in Ludhiana, Punjab, where they arrested Lalit Ahuka. He is a local medical store owner found in possession of more opium laced tablets. His statements led to police to the real mastermind, Harvinder Kumar. Harvinder used a fake identity to operate an elaborate smuggling ring. The fake identity was that of Harsh Dawar to operate an elaborate smuggling ring. The wholesale medical business became the front for a global drug pipeline stretching from India to Canada and Australia. They cleverly targeted the large South Asian diaspora in those countries.
Officers raided Kumar’s warehouse on June 26, and the extent of the operation began to unfold. What seemed at first to be a small-time drug deal turned out to be a part of a far-reaching international smuggling syndicate. Boxes of “digestives” had already made their way across borders.
The accused are now facing serious charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Authorities are investigating the international links, payment networks, and postal logistics that supported the syndicate. Intelligence agencies have also reached out to their counterparts in Australia and Canada, where these tablets may have entered communities without raising red flags.
This bust is just the beginning. The Delhi Police believe there are more players involved—perhaps even collaborators in courier companies, lab technicians who crafted the pills, and digital middlemen who arranged foreign deliveries. There’s now a pressing concern that many more such parcels may have already slipped through the cracks, consumed by unsuspecting buyers seeking harmless herbal relief.
This case stands as a dark reminder: in an age of clever disguises and global routes, even the most harmless-looking product can hide a deadly secret. The Delhi Crime Branch’s breakthrough may have disrupted this racket, but the shadows it has exposed are deep and far-reaching. Keep reading Dip Dives for more such crime news.
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