(MENAFN- Live Mint) Interpol has issued a Red Notice against Rishabh Baisoya, a fugitive wanted in connection with a ₹13,000-crore cocaine haul unearthed by the Delhi Police Special Cell - one of the largest drug trafficking cases in India's history.

Rishabh Baisoya, who is believed to be hiding in the Middle East, was earlier declared an absconder and proclaimed offender by Indian courts. The Interpol notice seeks global assistance to locate and detain him pending extradition, officials confirmed.

Check the RED NOTICE against Rishabh Baisoya

What is a Red Notice?

A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant but a request by Interpol to law-enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and detain a person pending extradition.

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Indian authorities are also invoking the 'trial in absentia' provision of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows a trial and even conviction to proceed if an accused declared a proclaimed offender remains absconding for over 90 days after charge framing.

Who is Rishabh Baisoya?

Rishabh Baisoya is the son of Virender Singh Baisoya, also known as Veeru - the alleged kingpin of an international drug-smuggling cartel. Investigators allege that Rishabh managed logistics and distribution channels for his father's network, using shell companies and pharmaceutical fronts to move cocaine consignments across Indian metros.

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Times of India citing Delhi Police Special Cell reported, Baisoya's network has links extending across Delhi, Punjab, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa, and is believed to have laundered thousands of crores through offshore accounts and hawala routes.

What are the charges against Rishabh Baisoya?

On 1 October 2024, Rishabh Baisoya allegedly provided a Toyota Fortuner SUV to co-accused Jatinder Singh Gill (alias Jassi) for drug transportation, Times of India reported. The vehicle was intercepted days later, on 5 October, in Ajnala, Punjab, near the Nepal border. Police recovered about 1 kg of cocaine and mephedrone from the SUV.

CCTV footage placed Baisoya and Gill together in Delhi - at Hudco Place and a hotel in Panchsheel Enclave - confirming his active involvement, officials said.

Baisoya has since been charged under multiple sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

How did the cartel operate?

The investigation revealed a multi-layered international network that smuggled cocaine from South America to India via Dubai. The cartel used shell import firms, fake pharmaceutical distributors, and courier fronts to conceal consignments and mask financial trails.

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The syndicate's operations were allegedly coordinated from Pakistan and Dubai, with members based in Thailand, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

Indian authorities have sent letters rogatory (judicial requests) to these countries seeking assistance in tracing assets and digital evidence.

What happens next in Rishabh Baisoya case?

The Red Notice now enables Interpol-member countries to detain Rishabh Baisoya if located abroad, although extradition will depend on bilateral treaties and legal processes.

Officials said that even if his capture takes time, the case will move forward under India's trial in absentia framework.

“This step strengthens India's hand in pursuing high-value fugitives wanted in cross-border organised crime,” a senior Delhi Police official told TOI.“The Red Notice ensures that Baisoya cannot travel freely or operate his network without risk of arrest.”

Why the Rishabh Baisoya case matters

The 13,000-crore drug haul has exposed"> ₹13,000-crore drug haul has exposed how India is being used a key transit hub in global narcotics supply chains. The Delhi Police case underscores how cartels now blend corporate-style fronts with deep international financing, making them harder to dismantle.

Officials said the seizure is part of a larger crackdown on transnational drug operations involving coordination between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Interpol.

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