Rajasthan Police have arrested a former National Security Guard (NSG) commando, Bajrang Singh, detained with 200kg ganja in Churu, India on Wednesday.
Accused of drug trafficking syndicate, Singh once fought terrorists during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, reports NDTV.
Inspector General of Police Vikas Kumar said he had been running a network smuggling ganja from Telangana and Odisha into Rajasthan.
A native of Sikar district, he was wanted for multiple cases and carried a bounty of Tk 34,270 on his head.
His capture followed a two-month-long joint drive under “Operation Gaanjaney,” conducted by the state’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF).
From soldier to smuggler
Singh had dropped out of school after completing Class 10 but later joined the Border Security Force (BSF), taking advantage of his strong physique and height.
As a BSF constable, he was posted in Punjab, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha and West Bengal, where he guarded borders and fought Maoists.
Recognised for his performance, Singh was inducted into the NSG—the country’s premier counter-terrorism force. For seven years, he served as a commando and was among those deployed during the 2008 Mumbai terror siege.
After leaving the service, Singh returned to his village in 2021, trying his hand at politics. He became active in a political party and even fielded his wife for local polls.
Police believe his political involvement brought him closer to people with criminal ties, which ultimately led him into the ganja trade.
Rise in drug trade
Investigators said Singh avoided small operations and preferred high-volume consignments, smuggling quintals of ganja across state borders.
Several cases have been filed against him in recent years, including one in Sikar after a major haul of narcotics was seized.
In 2023, he was arrested near Hyderabad with two quintals of ganja but managed to continue operations after release.
How police nabbed Bajrang
According to the ATS, Singh frequently used fake identities and changed locations to evade capture. He stayed in remote villages and avoided direct communication, making the task harder for law enforcers.
Ultimately, investigators tracked him down through his domestic help, who unknowingly provided key leads via contact with relatives.
Technical surveillance pointed officers to Ratangarh in Churu district.
On Wednesday, a special team followed Singh as he travelled on a motorcycle. Realising the risks of confronting a trained commando, the police held back until he reached one of his safe houses.
They then executed a carefully planned raid, leading to his arrest without resistance.
“This was a meticulously coordinated operation. Capturing someone with Singh’s background is a significant breakthrough in disrupting the drug-terror nexus in Rajasthan,” IGP Vikas Kumar said after the arrest.
