Until a few years ago, Amarjit Singh, a 52-year-old Indian national, was running a pharmaceutical business in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. He legally produced more than two dozen types of medicines with approval from the government. His business was doing reasonably well until quality issues in drug samples led to legal troubles. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have been an opportunity for pharmaceutical businesses—but for Amarjit, who was already drowning in problems, it became the final blow.
Struggling financially and unable to revive his business, Amarjit came to Kathmandu, Nepal, looking for a fresh start. He invested around NPR 600,000 to open a liquor shop in Chuchhepati. He partnered with another Indian, Kapil Bhardwaj, whom he had met in court. Kapil, who also didn’t have steady work at the time, chipped in with a few lakh rupees, and the two started the venture together.
From Liquor Shop to Drug Network
What began as a liquor business took a darker turn. Amarjit is now in police custody in Nepal, accused of leading an international drug smuggling ring. According to Nepal’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Amarjit was involved in trafficking high-grade cannabis from Thailand into Nepal. He allegedly lured Indian citizens to travel to Bangkok on free trips, promising extra money in return. On their return, they would unknowingly or knowingly bring back suitcases filled with drugs.
A Smooth Operation—Until It Wasn’t
Kapil, 48, originally from Gurugram, Haryana, was running a printing press before joining Amarjit in Kathmandu. He said the liquor business didn’t earn much, so they considered opening a guesthouse and even discussed launching a hotel in Thailand. Amarjit claimed he would invest and asked Kapil to visit Thailand and do some research.
Kapil traveled to Bangkok three times. On each trip, he returned with a suitcase that Amarjit had asked him to bring back, supposedly filled with expensive cosmetics not easily found in India. At the airport, the bags always passed security without issues.
On his fourth trip, Kapil was accompanied by Pawan, a long-time colleague from the printing press. This time, both carried one suitcase each from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. They were instructed to go to a location and say the code words “Radhe-Radhe” to receive the bags. However, this time, they weren’t given the PIN codes to open the bags, which was unusual.
Caught at the Airport
Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport on May 21, Kapil passed through security without issue, but Pawan was stopped. Security staff noticed something suspicious in his luggage during the scan. As officers questioned him and asked for the bag’s PIN, Kapil returned to check on him. Eventually, they opened both bags.
Police discovered 9 kilograms of hybrid cannabis and 2.5 grams of cocaine in Pawan’s suitcase. Kapil’s bag had the same amount of cannabis. Both were handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau for further investigation.
Reaching the Mastermind
Usually, only the carriers (locally called bhariya) get caught. But this time, investigators traced the operation back to Amarjit, the alleged mastermind. Both Kapil and Pawan named him during questioning.
Kapil was devastated. He said he trusted Amarjit like a father. Despite being in custody together, he no longer speaks to him. Investigators decided to keep their arrest secret while they worked on luring Amarjit to Nepal.
Lured Back to Kathmandu
Kapil’s wife played a crucial role. She visited Amarjit’s house in Delhi and told him her husband was seriously ill and hospitalized in Kathmandu. Amarjit was reportedly angry at her unannounced visit but later agreed to travel to Nepal after she sent photos of Kapil in a hospital bed with the suitcase beside him. These photos were staged by police to convince Amarjit.
He had another reason to come: NPR 130,000 that he had recently won at a casino in Kathmandu. Once he arrived, he was arrested.
Amarjit claims he never asked them to smuggle drugs and that the bags were filled with harmless items like sex toys. However, data from his mobile phone and other evidence reportedly shows that he had a much larger role, potentially involving the production of drug-based medicines destined for Nepal.
Ongoing Investigation
Police believe Amarjit is not just a middleman but a key figure in an international drug trafficking operation. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of his network.
“This time, we caught more than just couriers. We caught the man running the show,” said SSP Krishna Prasad Koirala, head of Nepal’s Narcotics Control Bureau.
