Pawan Thakur, a Dubai-based drug trafficker accused of masterminding one of the largest cocaine hauls in India last year, has been arrested in the UAE. Authorities confirmed that he will soon be deported to India to face multiple criminal cases.
Thakur is alleged to be the key orchestrator behind the smuggling of nearly 82 kilograms of high-grade cocaine, valued at approximately Rs 2,500 crore, that was intercepted by authorities in Delhi in November 2024. According to investigators, the consignment was routed through an Indian port before being transported by truck to the national capital, where it was concealed in a warehouse awaiting distribution across the country.
In addition to the massive cocaine seizure, officials revealed that Thakur was also the mastermind of a methamphetamine (meth) consignment worth Rs 282 crore that was seized by the anti-narcotics agency in Delhi earlier this week.
Investigators further disclosed that Thakur has been a long-time player in the hawala (informal money transfer) and money laundering ecosystem. He reportedly started his criminal career as a hawala agent in Delhi’s Kucha Mahajani market before expanding into large-scale international narcotics trafficking. Using his deep knowledge of underground finance, Thakur allegedly laundered enormous sums generated from the drug trade through a sophisticated hawala network. Evidence gathered by agencies points to the extensive use of cryptocurrency transactions and a web of cross-border shell companies registered in India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.
In September 2025, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) issued an international Silver Notice against Thakur. The Silver Notice, a lesser-known Interpol tool, empowers law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and trace assets, businesses, and financial trails linked to the accused across multiple jurisdictions.
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Parallel to the NCB’s narcotics investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing Thakur’s syndicate for laundering more than Rs 681 crore. The money, officials said, was cleaned through fabricated import-export documentation, cryptocurrency transfers, and doctored financial statements. During earlier operations, the ED conducted raids on premises linked to Thakur and froze 118 mule bank accounts used by his network.
Despite multiple summons issued by the ED, Thakur repeatedly failed to appear for questioning. This led the Patiala House Court in Delhi to issue a non-bailable warrant against him.
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Sources familiar with the case revealed that following the major drug seizure in Delhi last year and the subsequent arrest of five of his close associates, Thakur, along with his family, fled to Dubai. From the UAE, he continued to remotely direct his smuggling and money-laundering operations. While in Dubai, Thakur acquired several high-value assets, including luxury vehicles and a villa in the prestigious Dubai Hills estate.
With his arrest in the UAE, Indian authorities are now coordinating his deportation to ensure he faces trial for drug trafficking, money laundering, and related offences in India.
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