How Delhi's 'Drug Queen' built Rs 20 cr narco empire: Son brought clients, daughters managed books

Delhi Police have revealed chilling details about how a woman, known in her locality as the ‘Drug Queen,’ allegedly built and operated a vast narcotics network from her home in Northeast Delhi’s Sultanpuri, The Indian Express reported.

According to the police, Kusum (40), who has been active since 2001, made her entire family a part of the illicit trade, assigning each member specific roles to keep the supply chain running smoothly. Her two daughters maintained client and supplier records, her son handled new customers, and her relatives managed logistics and even invested in benami properties in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to hide the earnings. According to investigators, her illegal assets are estimated to be worth between Rs 15-20 crore.

Police are preparing to bring serious charges against her under organised crime laws, including provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The law allows for harsher punishments, longer detention periods, up to 180 days, and stricter action against those running syndicates.

Kusum, along with her daughters Anuradha and Deepa, has been on the run since March, when police raided her Sultanpuri home. During the operation, officers arrested her 26-year-old son Amit, recovering more than 500 packets of heroin, Rs 14 lakh in cash, and a black Scorpio vehicle.

Investigators are also searching for her brother, identified as ‘Danny,’ who allegedly supplied her with drugs from Bulandshahr, their native town. Officers believe Danny played a critical role in ensuring the smooth flow of contraband into Delhi.

“Her relatives in her village are being probed and many of them are suspected to be involved in the various aspects of the illegal trade,” a police officer was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

The financial probe has uncovered benami properties worth several crores, spread across Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, that were allegedly purchased using drug money. On July 20, authorities seized eight properties valued at around Rs 4 crore. The total worth of Kusum’s hidden assets is believed to touch nearly Rs 20 crore, and further investigations are underway.

Police also arrested one of Kusum’s alleged major clients, Ashish Reddu, who regularly bought heroin from her network. According to the police, Reddu was introduced to Kusum through Amit and was a frequent visitor to the Sultanpuri alley that served as the hub of the drug operations.

The 583-page chargesheet filed in May details how Amit joined the business about five years ago, gradually expanding the customer base. Investigators traced significant deposits into the bank accounts of Kusum’s daughters, strengthening suspicions that they were not only aware of but also actively involved in the drug syndicate. Notices have already been served to banks to get details of beneficiary accounts, with alleged suspicious transactions of around Rs 2 crore still under scrutiny.

The chargesheet also mentions the presence of iron gates on both ends of the alley where Kusum’s building was located with CCTVS monitoring every move of anyone who entered the alley.

“Anyone who came inside the alley—dealer, supplier and lawyer—was thoroughly checked at the iron gates, with minor boys keeping an eye on the whole lane. The individual would then be escorted to the building. He would then meet Kusum to talk business, mostly for the sale of narcotics. Once they came out, they would be asked to exit from the other end of the alley,” a police officer said.