Drug kingpin Virender Singh Basoya sent to NCB custody till August 21

On Sunday, a Pune court ordered the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to hold international drug kingpin Virender Singh Basoya in custody until August 21. Basoya, who was extradited from the UAE, appeared in Pune court after being flown there from Delhi. Earlier, the NCB had requested a three-day transit remand from a Delhi court to transport him to Pune for custody.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, "Creating a new milestone in the policy of zero tolerance against narcotics, the NCB secured the return of fugitive drug kingpin Virender Singh Basoya from the UAE." Basoya is believed to be the mastermind behind several high-profile narcotics cases in India with international connections. The NCB is currently investigating his alleged involvement in a large drugs syndicate uncovered by the Pune City police’s Crime Branch in February 2024.

In a major drug seizure, the Pune police recovered around 1,800 kilograms of Mephedrone worth Rs 3,700 crore from a chemical factory in Daund, godowns in Pune and New Delhi, and various locations in Sangli district. The investigation revealed a sophisticated production line for the synthetic stimulant, with consignments reportedly sent to London via a courier agency in Delhi.

The probe's central figure is Sundip Dhunia, a British national of Indian origin, who is believed to have fled to a West Asian country before the Pune police crackdown in 2024. An Interpol Red Corner Notice has been issued against Dhunia, linking him to Basoya.