NCB gets Interpol silver notice issued against Dubai-based fugitive drug lord

New Delhi: The first-ever Silver Notice of Interpol issued on the initiative of an Indian probe agency was issued against Dubai-based fugitive Pawan Thakur, wanted in connection with the recovery of around 82 kg of cocaine in Delhi in November 2024, the NCB said on Thursday.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), sharing information about the notice which it got published with close coordination of Interpol, said: “The Silver Notice will help in identifying, locating, and tracing properties and assets acquired through criminal proceeds by the fugitive across member countries of Interpol.”

The NCB said that investigations established that the fugitive is the mastermind behind the import, export, and trafficking of the seized cocaine.

He arranged for the consignment’s import through an Indian port and facilitated its onward movement to Delhi by road, said the NCB.

His associates managed warehousing and custodianship of the contraband in Delhi, while he personally mediated among handlers to ensure smooth distribution, it said.

During the investigation, the NCB discovered that the accused operated a Hawala network with bases in Dubai and Delhi, channeling illicit funds and laundering proceeds of narcotics trafficking into the formal financial system through his associates.

He is currently residing in Dubai and continues to operate his narcotics trafficking and money-laundering syndicate from there, said the NCB.

The federal probe agency said, “the Silver Notice will enable law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, and asset recovery offices worldwide to share information with NCB”.

The NCB has also urged law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units, and asset recovery offices across Interpol member countries to extend cooperation by providing information on properties and assets linked to the fugitive.

India’s apex nodal agency working to prevent the trafficking of drugs and their abuse has been making continuous efforts in coordination with international agencies to dismantle organised drug syndicates and choke their financial flow.

IANS