Delhi-based supplier detained, handed to Assam Police in cross-border narcotics case
New Delhi: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has apprehended a 27-year-old man alleged to be a supplier of psychotropic tablets to an interstate narcotics network that investigators say has links with an active member of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I).
Police identified the accused as Apurba Thakur. He was traced in the Narela area after Crime Branch officers conducted technical and manual surveillance pursuant to a request from Assam Police on August 25. Thakur was handed over to an Assam Police team and arrested in connection with a case registered at Mathurapur police station in Charaideo district under the NDPS Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), officials said.
The probe originated on July 17 when Assam Police intercepted a vehicle on Dhodor Ali Road in Majgaon and recovered 46.11 grams of suspected heroin concealed in soap boxes inside a hidden compartment. The occupant, named as Manuj Gogoi, was arrested at the time. Subsequent investigation and arrests allegedly exposed a broader network and a parallel supply chain for psychotropic tablets operating between Delhi and Assam, police said.
Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) HGS Dhaliwal confirmed that digital-evidence analysis pointed to Thakur as a Delhi-based supplier. Investigators said they recovered WhatsApp chats from Thakur’s mobile that included communications with an identified ULFA(I) cadre, Mridupawan Dahutia, who investigators allege joined the outfit in 2011. An invoice related to a consignment of psychotropic tablets was also reportedly recovered from the device.
- Initial seizure: 46.11 grams of suspected heroin recovered by Assam Police on July 17.
- Arrests linked: Manuj Gogoi (initial occupant), other suspects later arrested in Assam.
- Delhi link: Apurba Thakur identified as alleged supplier after surveillance and digital-evidence analysis.
Investigators said additional digital traces indicated a consignment of psychotropic tablets had been dispatched from Delhi to Assam but was allegedly stopped after information about the police action was relayed to the ULFA(I) cadre. Police also reported that Thakur’s phone contained WhatsApp chats with Dahutia that, according to the investigating agency, dated back to 2025.
Further probe revealed an online transaction involving lakhs of rupees between Thakur and Boby Gogoi, identified as the wife of an alleged racketeer and arrested accused, Bhaskar Gogoi. Police said the nature and purpose of that transaction are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
Local and inter-state coordination
The detention followed a formal request by Assam Police and demonstrates the use of combined technical surveillance and manual fieldwork by the Delhi Crime Branch to trace suspects allegedly operating across state lines. Thakur was formally handed to Assam authorities after being located in Narela, the police said.
The case is being investigated under provisions of both the NDA-driven narcotics statute — the NDPS Act — and the UAPA, reflecting the probe’s dual focus on controlled-substance trafficking and alleged links to proscribed violent groups. Assam Police have registered the case at Mathurapur police station in Charaideo district and made arrests of multiple individuals in connection with the seizure and subsequent probe, as reported by the investigating agencies.
| Item | Detail reported |
|---|---|
| Initial seizure | 46.11 grams suspected heroin (Majgaon, July 17) |
| Primary Delhi suspect | Apurba Thakur, 27, traced to Narela and handed over to Assam Police |
| Alleged insurgent link | Mridupawan Dahutia, identified as active ULFA(I) cadre |
| Charges | Cases under NDPS Act and UAPA at Mathurapur PS, Charaideo district |
Investigators are continuing to examine digital evidence, financial transactions and communication records to map the supply chain and establish the extent of links between narcotics trafficking and the alleged ULFA(I) cadre. Police said further details will emerge as the Assam investigation progresses and additional forensic analysis is completed.
The development adds to an ongoing law-enforcement focus on narcotics routes that traverse the national capital and reach north-eastern states, prompting closer coordination between Delhi and Assam police wings in intelligence-sharing and joint operations.
