New Delhi, March 12 The Delhi Police has detained a 44-year-old habitual drug trafficker and transferred him to a prison in Chennai in an unprecedented move aimed at disrupting the narcotics supply chain, an official said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Roshan Lal, a resident of Aman Vihar, was detained following an order issued by the competent authority under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on February 26.
Police said this is the first such case in which a detainee has been lodged in Chennai Central Prison, Puzhal, after detention in Delhi, a step taken to break his links with the local narcotics network.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, police apprehended Roshan Lal from his residence on March 10.
The police detained the accused under the PITNDPS Act and, after completing legal formalities, transferred him to the Chennai prison.
According to the police, Roshan Lal, a habitual offender, has been involved in narcotics trafficking since 2021 and is currently facing three cases under the NDPS Act and four other criminal cases related to excise violations, theft and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
His involvement in drug trafficking first came to light in February 2021 when he was arrested in Aman Vihar with 50 grams of heroin.
After being released from jail, he was again arrested in April 2022 with 1.4 kilograms of ganja, police said.
Despite these arrests, he allegedly continued his illegal activities. In November 2024, police arrested him along with an associate, Dharambir alias Dharmu, in Rohini while they were riding a scooter without a number plate.
During a search, the police recovered 310 grams of heroin from the scooter’s storage compartment.
Police said Roshan Lal was on court bail since August 4, 2025, but continued to remain actively involved in the illicit drug trade.
The PITNDPS Act allows preventive detention of individuals involved in organised narcotics trafficking to curb the menace of drugs, which poses a serious threat to public health, social stability and the economy.
