Chhattisgarh: Raipur’s party circuit under scanner, police crack drug trail of MDMA, heroin to Punjab, overseas suppliers

RAIPUR: In one of the biggest NDPS crackdowns in recent months, Chhattisgarh police say they have exposed a major drug cartel with links stretching from Raipur’s party circuit to Punjab’s gangster networks and overseas suppliers in Pakistan, Australia and Italy.

Under ‘Operation Nischay,’ police have arrested 57 people in the past month—including event managers and seven women—accused of distributing MDMA and heroin through high-profile parties and local networks. They would act as ‘party’ faces to fix clients at private parties of Raipur. Raipur range Inspector General of Police Amresh Mishra told TOI that police have unearthed what is described as a tightly knit MDMA cartel operating across the city’s party circuit, arresting four more people on Thursday—including two event managers—in an ongoing probe that has already several others. The arrests were made under ‘operation Nischay,’ a coordinated crackdown by the anti-crime and cyber unit and Raipur police.Event managers as cartel facesThose arrested on Thursday include Vidhi Agrawal, 27, a corporate professional, and Rishiraj Tandon, an event manager from Shankar Nagar, who police say played a central role in sourcing and distributing MDMA at private parties. Along with them, Sohel Khan, 29 of Mahasamund and Junaid Akhtar, 28 of Raipur were picked up for their alleged links to kingpin Navya Malik and her associate Ayyaz Parvez, both arrested earlier.

IG Mishra said the presence of event managers as “faces of the network” marks a worrying trend—where professional party organisers not only host events but also facilitate the circulation of synthetic drugs inside Raipur’s nightlife spaces.The investigation: end-to-end linkagesPolice said the case dates back to August 23, when a car near Devendra Nagar overbridge was intercepted, yielding 27.58 grams of MDMA, cash worth Rs 85,300, five mobile phones and a sedan used for transport.

Three men—Harsh Ahuja of Raipur, Monu Vishnoi of Haryana and Deep Dhanoria of Raipur—were arrested.From there, investigators traced the supply chain, arresting Malik and Parvez and seizing banned substances and mobile phones that revealed chat groups, phone numbers and financial transactions. All are booked under Sections 21(C) and 29 of the NDPS Act and remain in police custody as back-and-forward linkages are probed.Pattern mirrors wider drug tradeOfficials point out that the modus operandi in this case mirrors a growing pattern across Raipur:Procurement: Synthetic drugs like MDMA are sourced from Delhi and Mumbai cartels, while traditional drugs such as ganja continue to flow from Odisha and Andhra borders. While link supply of heroin was connected to Punjab and further to Pakistan, Australia and Italy, with Khalistan gangsters playing major role in supply of drugs, with a guaranteed flow of money.Distribution: Party organizers, pubs, cafés and college hangouts serve as discreet distribution nodes.Digital trail: Encrypted social media apps are increasingly used for orders, while payments are routed via UPI wallets to obscure money trails.IG Mishra said the operation aimed to dismantle the cartel “end-to-end,” cutting ties with both interstate suppliers and local distributors. “The goal is not just seizure, but complete disruption of the supply chain,” he told TOI.Though the challenge is mounting with traffickers exploit courier services, ride-hailing cars, online platforms and nightlife events to conceal operations, he added.Investigations into a string of NDPS Act cases in Raipur reveal a clear shift in the city’s narcotics trade—from traditional contraband like ganja and opium to synthetic party drugs such as MDMA, LSD and ecstasy.