New Delhi:In a sensational crackdown, the Delhi Police have arrested a former Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) officer, Rohit Kumar Sharma, for allegedly running an international hydroponic marijuana cartel worth Rs 27 crore. The police seized 21.5 kg of premium “ocean-grown” marijuana, &44.42 lakh in cash, a Mahindra XUV700, and a scooter during the operation, unearthing one of the biggest drug busts in recent years. According to officials, Sharma was apprehended by the Crime Branch near Janak Cinema in West Delhi during a late-night operation on October 13–14, while he was delivering a consignment. The seized hydroponic marijuana, cultivated using advanced methods, contained tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels nearly 10 times higher than regular cannabis, making it highly sought after in elite party circuits across metros. Investigations revealed that the 35-year-old accused, a resident of Gopal Nagar Extension, Najafgarh, holds a B.Tech in Electronics Engineering and joined the Central Excise Department in 2015. His career took a sharp turn in 2019 when he was arrested in a 3-kg gold smuggling case while posted at Kannur Airport, Kerala. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) later booked him under the NDPS Act, and he was dismissed from service in 2023 following a departmental inquiry. Post-dismissal, Sharma allegedly moved to Dubai, where he conspired with an accomplice identified as Abhishek, a resident of Bihar, to smuggle hydroponic marijuana from Thailand into India. Exploiting his insider knowledge of customs operations, Sharma reportedly used low-footfall airports such as Guwahati to evade detection. The contraband was smuggled in courier parcels disguised as food items and distributed to clients in Delhi-NCR and other metro cities, reportsThe Hindu. Police sources stated that Sharma funneled his illegal earnings through hawala networks and cryptocurrency channels to Dubai. The Delhi Police are now pursuing further leads to uncover additional links in the cartel’s international supply chain.