NEW DELHI: One of the country’s most-wanted fugitives, Ritik Bajaj, accused in a Rs 13,000-crore drug trafficking case, has been extradited from the UAE and brought back to India on Tuesday, a senior officer said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), facilitated the return of the wanted fugitive from the UAE. Bajaj was the subject of an Interpol Red Corner Notice.

Acting on intelligence inputs from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), New Delhi, his location was geo-tracked, triggering an international operation. Coordination between the CBI and the NCB in Bangkok led to credible travel movement data, which confirmed Bajaj’s shift to the UAE. Further collaboration with the NCB in Abu Dhabi helped locate the fugitive.

Bajaj had been on the wanted list of the Delhi Police and the NCB since October 2024. In October last year, the Delhi Police seized 1,289 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic Thai marijuana, valued at Rs 13,000 crore, in Delhi and Gujarat. Five accused were arrested, and a chargesheet was filed against 14 people, including Ritik Bajaj.

Investigators said the drugs were brought to Ankleshwar from South American countries for purification at a pharmaceutical company and were later supplied to Delhi.

The police found that several pharmaceutical companies based in South India and Gujarat were used to transport the drugs. Five legitimate firms and three shell companies were identified.