In the biggest-ever drugs bust in New Delhi, officials confiscated over 560 kilos (1,200 pounds) of cocaine and some 40 kilos of hydroponic marijuana in October. The seized substances were valued at approximately $669 million (€642 million) and led to multiple arrests of smugglers and dealers linked to an international drug syndicate.

Within days, police seized another 208 kilos of cocaine hidden in packs of chips and other food items in a rented shop.

In the same month, a joint operation between Delhi and Gujarat state police departments resulted in the confiscation of 518 kilos of cocaine from a pharmaceutical company in Gujarat, valued at around $595 million. This was part of a larger investigation that uncovered a narcotics syndicate.

"That India has always been a hub of [drugs] smuggling is a known fact, but the number of [smuggling] routes have increased and the methods of trafficking have become more sophisticated of late," Romesh Bhattacharjee, a former narcotics commissioner, told DW.

"While precise statistics are difficult to confirm, it is estimated that for every kilogram of drugs seized, up to 10 kilograms or more may remain unseized," added Bhattacharjee.

The total value of drugs found in 2024 reached $1.07 billion, according to estimates by various security agencies. But experts say that may be just the tip........

© Deutsche Welle