The Tiruvallur police’s crackdown on synthetic drugs saw a breakthrough on Sunday with the arrest of Mathin Ahmed, 31, who was found carrying 55 grams of methamphetamine and 40 MDMA tablets, weighing 26 grams.
The police said Mathin came under scrutiny after the November 8 arrest of Bende, a Senegalese national believed to be coordinating the network from Delhi. Bende had identified Mathin as his primary operative in Tamil Nadu.
Further checks revealed that Mathin, who has a pending Narcotics Control Bureau case against him and had served time in Puzhal prison, reactivated his earlier connections soon after his release, relying on contacts he had built behind bars. The supply chain has heightened concern among officials. The cartel allegedly used Karnataka-based bus conductors, paying them ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per trip, to drop off drug parcels at secluded places and sent GPS coordinates to foreign handlers.
A senior police officer said “They leave the package wherever they feel safe — under a tree, near a tea shop, anywhere”. He added that consignments crossed into Tamil Nadu with little difficulty as tollgates rarely conduct thorough checks.
Published – November 18, 2025 12:40 am IST
