Delhi Cops Uncover Women-Led Drug Networks in Sultanpuri and Bhalswa
Delhi Police investigators have disclosed that female operatives have taken central roles in running major narcotics syndicates across Delhi localities, including Bhalswa Dairy, Majnu Ka Tila, and Sultanpuri. The shift in leadership was highlighted following the June 22 arrest of three sisters—Paro (28), Usha (25), and Kanta (35)—on drug trafficking charges, which exposed a network that had accumulated multi-crore real estate portfolios.
According to senior police officers, many women stepped into leadership positions after their husbands, fathers, brothers, or sons were arrested under the NDPS Act. Having learned the supply chains and client networks from male relatives, they took control of operations, often working in coordinated groups of two or three to handle customer interactions, drug deliveries, and cash collection.
Investigators stated that simple economics drove the transition from bootlegging to drug trafficking. While bootlegging yields barely Rs 5 per bottle, small quantities of ganja generate profit margins between Rs 200 and Rs 300. Contraband such as ganja, heroin, and smack is also easier to conceal in saris, dupattas, and blouses, complicating searches and detection.
Police disclosed that procedural safeguards intended to protect women are frequently exploited by these syndicates. Under legal regulations, female suspects can only be searched or detained by female personnel, leaving male officers unable to act even with strong suspicion. Raids on houses require female officers present in the team, and making arrests between sunset and sunrise requires moving an application through a female officer to secure a magistrate’s permission.
At the ground level, syndicates employ local juveniles as lookouts and place CCTV cameras at the ends of narrow lanes to spot approaching officers, allowing suspects to flush or relocate drugs before raids occur. Proceeds from the drug trade are rarely deposited in standard bank accounts; instead, funds are funnelled into gold and informal real estate acquisitions using general power of attorney contracts, or deposited in small amounts into relatives' bank accounts.
Several high-profile figures have been linked to these networks. Kusum, who was arrested earlier this year, operated out of a fortified four-storey residence formed by merging four houses in Sultanpuri, accumulating properties worth over Rs 4 crore while facing more than a dozen NDPS cases. Taslima Putti operated a heroin supply network out of Bhalswa Dairy, acquiring luxury vehicles and properties worth over Rs 2 crore in JJ colonies. Meanwhile, Paro, Usha, and Kanta amassed nearly Rs 2 crore in assets, including 12 to 13 flats valued at approximately Rs 15 lakh each. To counter these evolving operational methods, police are planning to deploy additional female officers within anti-narcotics teams.
