Delhi: Fugitive drug supplier wanted in 567 kg cannabis case arrested

A cab driver by day and drug courier by night wanted in a high-profile narcotics case involving the seizure of cannabis worth over Rs 56 lakh in Rajasthan was arrested from Delhi's Uttam Nagar, an official said on Saturday.

Sanjeev Kumar Shah (32), carrying a reward of Rs 10,000 on his arrest, was wanted in a case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Sawai Madhopur district last year.

To avoid arrest, Shah frequently changed his locations and lived under the radar sometimes, working as a cab driver in Delhi-NCR to mask his illegal operations, the police said.


"In July 2024, the police at Rawanjana Dungar in Rajasthan seized 567 kilograms of cannabis, worth over Rs 56 lakh, from a mini-truck during a highway checkpoint operation," a senior police officer said.

Along with the truck, a car used to escort the vehicle was also seized.

Five people were arrested at the spot, but Shah, who was allegedly piloting the truck using another vehicle, managed to escape, the officer added.

Subsequently, the Rajasthan Police named Shah as an accused in the case and declared a reward for his capture.

The police received a tip-off that Shah would be visiting the Uttam Nagar area on June 18 and laid a trap near the Uttam Nagar Metro Station, where Shah was apprehended.

During the interrogation, Shah revealed that he was born in Begusarai, Bihar, and had later moved to Delhi with his father, who worked in a gas agency.

He studied up to Class 11 in Janakpuri and then worked in a jeans design factory before switching to driving Gramin Sewa vehicles.

He was also previously involved in another NDPS case in Haryana's Nuh district, where 313 kg of cannabis was recovered in May 2022.