Mumbai Police on High Alert: New Year Parties Drive Surge in Drug Demand

Mumbai, a city that never sleeps, attracts visitors from across the country and the world to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, many celebrations revolve around alcohol, drugs, and indulgence, making them incomplete without these elements. As a result, preparations are in full swing for parties across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), with hotels, pubs, and private gatherings leading the charge.

However, to evade the vigilance of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), and other police agencies, drug syndicates are shifting their focus to private parties. These parties are being organized at secluded locations such as bungalows, forests, and riversides.

According to sources within the drug syndicates, the demand for drugs has surged by over 400%, with an estimated consumption of drugs worth over ₹10,000 crore in a single night.

Innovative Smuggling Tactics

Drug peddlers and smugglers continue to devise new methods to transport contraband. Police agencies manage to track only about 5-10% of drug smuggling activities, showcasing the extensive and sophisticated network of the drug trade in the country. Some of the widely-used methods include:

Banana trucks: Concealing drugs in shipments of bananas.

New tires: Hiding contraband inside tire stacks.

Sandal soles: Stuffing drugs within the soles of sandals.

Watermelons: Smuggling drugs inside hollowed-out watermelons.

Sports equipment: Using guitars, hockey sticks, footballs, and volleyballs as hiding spots.

Role of Dark Web and Social Media

A significant portion—approximately 80%—of drug trafficking is now conducted via the dark web. Smugglers convert their earnings into cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to avoid detection. Additionally, social media platforms are used to coordinate drug deliveries and promote parties, with coded languages and secret symbols employed to evade law enforcement.

For instance, a kilogram of MDMA is referred to as "one meter of cloth" or "happy pills," while marijuana is labeled as "one pot," hashish as "chiba," heroin as "powder," and smack as "dust." Emojis and symbolic images are also extensively used to facilitate covert communication.

Anti-Drug Operations in Mumbai

The Mumbai Police and Crime Branch have intensified their efforts to curb drug trafficking under various operations like "Operation Thunder." In 2024 alone, the Anti-Narcotics Cell registered 1,060 cases, arresting 1,228 individuals and seizing drugs worth ₹41.88 crore.

In November, as part of a special drive targeting New Year celebrations, 96 cases were registered, leading to the seizure of 47.725 kilograms of drugs worth approximately ₹50 crore.

A senior Mumbai Police official stated, "We are fully prepared to crack down on drug syndicates during the New Year celebrations. Teams from Mumbai Police and the Anti-Narcotics Cell are closely monitoring all movements of drug traffickers."

With heightened surveillance and strategic operations, Mumbai Police aim to ensure a safer and drug-free New Year celebration in the city.