New Delhi, August 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The seizure of 55 kg of methamphetamine, valued at around ₹300 crore, from a Container Freight Station (CFS) near Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port has brought the focus back on alleged international drug trafficker Mohammad Hassan Hussain Dad, who Indian agencies have previously linked to major narcotics trafficking operations.
Hussain, who is based in Kandahar, Afghanistan, is reportedly an asset of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and is suspected by Indian agencies of operating a large narcotics network. Officials allege that proceeds from the network are channelled towards terror-related activities.
Hussain has previously come under the radar of Indian investigative agencies and has been chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with alleged drug-trafficking activities.
Officials said the scale of Hussain’s alleged operations distinguishes his network from smaller narcotics syndicates. His group has reportedly specialised in moving large consignments, particularly heroin, into India and other South Asian countries.
An Intelligence Bureau official claimed that Hussain could increase his activities amid what the official described as the ISI’s need to generate funds for terror operations in India.
The network has maintained a relatively low profile following the arrest of Salim Dola, described as a key aide of underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim who was overseeing the syndicate’s operations in India. Sources said the reduced activity could have allowed the network to regroup and attempt to revive its operations.
Another official said operatives such as Hussain could step up efforts to move larger narcotics consignments amid the reported requirement for funds by terror groups.
In an earlier major operation, Hussain’s syndicate allegedly attempted to push 2,998 kg of heroin, valued at around ₹21,000 crore, into India. The drugs were concealed in a consignment of talc, allegedly with the assistance of a firm in India. Indian agencies subsequently busted the operation.
Investigators have also alleged that Hussain developed a network of local and cross-border drug runners to distribute narcotics across different parts of the country.
The NIA has stated in its chargesheet that Hussain allegedly worked in tandem with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The agency also alleged that proceeds from his drug network, running into billions of dollars, were moved through informal hawala channels.
Officials have further alleged that money generated through the network was used to finance anti-India and terror-related activities, including the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to officials, Hussain and his brother Mohammad Hassan Dad operate the syndicate from Kandahar through commercial fronts. One such entity, identified as Hassan Hussain Ltd, is allegedly presented as an export business.
In the latest Nhava Sheva operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) reportedly found that the syndicate’s handlers had established contact with Mumbai-based import-export firms. They subsequently approached a trading firm in Uttar Pradesh for the export of 22 tonnes of maize.
The narcotics were allegedly concealed within the maize consignment, which was transported to a CFS facility at Nhava Sheva for shipment. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials searched the container and detected a bag containing maize mixed with the suspected narcotic substance.
Officials have warned that the latest seizure may not mark the end of the syndicate’s activities, with increased pressure to generate funds potentially prompting further attempts to smuggle narcotics into India.
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