Drug unit busted in Outer Delhi: Cops trace money trail, arrested accused questioned

3 min readJun 13, 2026 12:57 PM IST

A day after Delhi Police busted a suspected drug manufacturing unit in Swaroop Nagar, investigators from the NCB and ANTF intensified questioning of the accused while launching a financial probe to uncover links to a wider drug trafficking network. (File Photo)

A day after the Delhi Police’s Anti-Narcotics Squad unit of the North district busted a drug manufacturing unit in Outer Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar area, the officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) carried out a  joint interrogation of the accused. The two accused arrested on Thursday have been remanded to three days police custody, said officers.

Raja Banthia, DCP North said, “Didier Romeo, one of the accused arrested during the raid, came to India in 2021 on a business visa. ⁠⁠Martin Ajva, the other accused, came to India in 2023 on a medical visa.”

On Thursday afternoon, a Nigerian woman, identified as Stella Pius, died after allegedly jumping from the fourth floor of the building when the raid was being carried out.  An officer said, “When the police team entered her flat, Stella allegedly jumped from the balcony. She was immediately shifted to the government hospital in Burari, where she was declared brought dead,” the officer said. Police said the embassy has been informed about her death and the post mortem examination will be conducted once the approval is received.

Police said they are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the unit, including a parallel financial probe to trace the money trail and identify all individuals linked to the operation. Investigating teams are also working to establish the source of the chemicals and determine how they were procured.  “Preliminary findings suggest that this may be part of a larger drug trafficking network operating in the city. All angles are being examined, and further action will be taken based on the evidence that emerges during the investigation,” the DCP said.

Among the items recovered during the raid were approximately 100 litres of unidentified chemical substances, 10 litres of hydrochloric acid, 31 bottles containing around 15.5 litres of hypophosphorous acid, six empty bottles of the same chemical, 35.5 kg of a white powder, 21 kilograms of black granules, 4.1 kilograms of black liquid and 192 grams of MDMA, said officers.  Police also seized two heating mantles, two 2,000-ml flasks, two distillation units, two weighing machines, several drums, steel tubs, plastic pipes, a large stove and a gas cylinder.

Samples of the seized substances have been sent for forensic examination. Police are investigating the source of the chemicals, the scale of the alleged operation and the role of those involved.

Police said the raid was conducted as part of the investigation into an Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case registered at Burari police station earlier this week.  On June 9, acting on a tip-off, the Anti-Narcotics Cell had arrested a Nigerian national, Frank Dashmond, from the Chandan Vihar area of Burari and recovered 67.9 grams of MDMA from his possession, according to officers. A case under the NDPS Act was registered and Dashmond was subsequently arrested.

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According to investigators, leads developed during the questioning of Dashmond led police to Swaroop Nagar, resulting in the latest arrests and the discovery of the suspected drug manufacturing facility on Thursday.