Cops suspect international drug cartel trafficked R53-cr worth cocaine into India via network of courier services, dark web orders, encrypted messages
The cartel had arranged for 6 kg of high-grade cocaine to be sent to Mumbai via Delhi from Dubai. Representation Pic/iStock
The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) investigating a complex case involving an international drug cartel that has exposed deep-rooted transnational links and sophisticated evasion tactics is having a tough time decoding it. Nine men have been arrested in connection with the case, including an alleged kingpin — Kuldeep Singh Gozara — a British national believed to be coordinating global operations.
The cartel is suspected to have trafficked high-grade cocaine worth over Rs 53 crore into India through a possible network of courier services, dark web orders, and encrypted communications,” said an officer. Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) sleuths are yet to determine whether the parcel of cocaine was smuggled into India by air or via sea.
Signal, a roadblock
However, the rigorous investigation has hit a roadblock as key suspects remain at large, with officials facing significant challenges in tracing their whereabouts. According to senior ANC officials, the wanted accused have been using a highly secure mobile application, Signal, an end-to-end encrypted platform that allows anonymous communication, auto-deletion of messages, and masking of IP addresses, according to a cyber cell officer.
Dubai to Jogeshwari via Delhi
The British national Gozara, arrested at Jogeshwari on May 28, had been using Signal to avoid any surveillance, according to sources. A total of 6 kg of cocaine had arrived in Delhi from Dubai, and later it was transported to Mumbai using local networks in the national capital, said the ANC sleuths.
Graphic/Sunil Haralkar
“Gozara had been using Signal to communicate with a drug lord based in Dubai. He had installed the app on his iPhone,” said an ANC officer. The British national, who claims to have suffered a huge loss in his wine business in London, had been residing in Dubai for the past year, said an officer privy to the investigation.
“Gozara told us that he wanted to mint money by selling drugs to recover the losses in his business. According to his passport details, he made several visits to India in the past year. Though he has been denying it, we are checking to see if in the past, too, he was involved in any drug racket during his India visits,” the officer said.
The arrests
After nabbing Gozara, who had landed in Mumbai on May 23 along with his Nepali caretaker, ANC sleuths made subsequent arrests and held seven others, including Mozambique, Portuguese and Indian nationals.
“Gozara is a big catch in this case, as he had travelled from Dubai to Mumbai along with a caretaker, a Nepali resident. We confiscated a total of 5.293 kg of cocaine worth Rs 53 crore from their possession in Jogeshwari,” said an officer privy to the investigation.
The ANC sleuths further told mid-day that Delhi-based carriers had come to Mumbai to deliver the drug consignment to Gozara. The latter then gave around 1 kg of cocaine to Mozambique and Portuguese nationals in his employ to sell. “We have arrested these foreign nationals and recovered around 300 grams of cocaine from them. But we are yet to get the details of those to whom they sold cocaine. We will catch them,” said the officer.
Ritesh Bhatia, cyber expert
The Mozambique and Portuguese nationals have told Crime Branch officers that they run a clothing export/import business. The ANC sleuths also told mid-day that the gang had sold cocaine in Jogeshwari and rerouted the money to Dubai using a hawala network. “We have also arrested an individual involved in the hawala network; however, we are still identifying the drug lord believed to be operating the network from Dubai,” said the officer.
Why Signal app?
The internet-enabled application is being widely used by human traffickers, sex racketeers, drug lords, etc, to avoid surveillance, said a senior officer attached to Mumbai police cyber cell.
A senior officer of the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police's cyber cell told mid-day, “Individuals seeking to avoid surveillance often use the Signal app because it offers greater anonymity in communication. Unlike WhatsApp, where users must know each other’s mobile numbers to initiate a chat, Signal allows users to interact with one another without revealing personal details, provided they know each other's unique identifiers. Additionally, Signal includes a feature that enables users to mask their IP addresses, making it significantly more difficult for any law enforcement agencies to monitor suspects or trace their digital footprints.”
Meanwhile, an ANC officer said, “It is an internet-enabled application that can be accessed using hotel Wi-Fi. Additionally, these individuals frequently travel across countries while using international roaming services to stay connected.”
A cyber expert, Ritesh Bhatia, said, “Bad actors prefer Signal because its strong encryption, minimal data collection, unlike other apps that collect metadata, disappearing messages, and anonymity features, make it a secure channel for illicit communication and fraud, complicating efforts to trace or monitor their activities. Also, Signal’s security is designed to protect privacy and free expression, and these same features are misused by bad actors.”
“But most importantly, when legally compelled, Signal only provides the limited information it holds, which is minimal by design, and publicly discloses such requests and responses transparently. Signal’s leadership has repeatedly stated they will not weaken encryption or build backdoors, even if governments mandate access, emphasising their commitment to user privacy,” Bhatia added.
A cyber lawyer, Puneet Bhasin, said, “Most applications which offer anonymity from national governments are already misused by criminals, and it’s not just Signal. There are email service providers and dark web forums which are misused for criminal activity communications.”
“Our government has taken extensive steps to bring them under Indian law with the extra-territorial jurisdiction of Indian technology, data protection and criminal laws. Any service provider offering services to Indians will have to have a representative and office in India and provide data to Indian law enforcement,” he added.
Key highlights
High-Profile Bust: Mumbai police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has uncovered a major international drug cartel with links to Dubai, Portugal, Mozambique, and other countries.
Roadblock at Signal app: The drug traffickers used the Signal app for communication — known for end-to-end encryption, auto-deleting messages, and IP masking — making it hard for police to track absconding suspects.
Drug Route: The consignment is believed to have arrived from Dubai to Delhi and was later transported to Mumbai via local networks. The exact smuggling route (air or sea) is still under investigation.
Hawala route: Proceeds from cocaine sales were routed back to Dubai via a hawala network
9 Arrested
These include the alleged kingpin, Kuldeep Singh Gozara, a British national.
6 kg
Quantity of cocaine, worth R53 crore, sent to Mumbai from Dubai via Delhi.
5.2 kg
Amount of cocaine recovered during Gozara’s arrest in Jogeshwari.
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