Intelligence agencies uncover alleged Mexican-Dawood drug cartel nexus targeting India

Indian intelligence agencies have reportedly uncovered an alleged nexus involving Mexican drug cartels, the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate and Northeast insurgent groups. The networks are suspected of planning to use India for narcotics production and international smuggling

New Delhi: Indian intelligence agencies have uncovered a transnational narcotics nexus involving Mexican cartels, the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate and insurgent groups in Myanmar and India’s Northeast, allegedly aimed at circumventing intensified security crackdowns.

With Indian agencies leaving no stone unturned to realise the Narendra Modi government’s vision of a drug-free India, pressure on international drug cartels has intensified, triggering a sense of desperation among their networks.

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Drug syndicates operating from Pakistan, Myanmar and Mexico have all faced significant setbacks at the hands of Indian enforcement agencies.

An Intelligence Bureau official said the earlier practice of these cartels operating within designated jurisdictions appeared to be changing.

“These cartels realise that it would be best to work as one rather than independently. They feel that functioning together would make the job of Indian agencies harder,” the official said.

Mexican cartels have been finding it increasingly difficult to operate following crackdowns by US agencies.

These cartels are also finding it increasingly difficult to procure precursor chemicals such as pseudoephedrine, used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, amid mounting pressure from US enforcement agencies.

“The Mexican cartels have been trying to find a way around this problem and are, therefore, in touch with insurgent groups in both India’s Northeast and Myanmar,” the official said.

The idea is to seek the help of these insurgent groups to source precursor chemicals from Myanmar for manufacturing drugs. These groups would, in turn, help the Mexican cartels smuggle chemicals such as pseudoephedrine across India’s porous borders.

The Mexican cartels plan to use India as a base to produce narcotics, which would eventually be smuggled into the United States and Europe, the official said.

Another official said the Mexican cartels were also working closely with the D-Syndicate.

“In fact, recent chatter intercepted by Indian intelligence agencies points to direct links between the Mexican Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Haji Salim,” the official said.

Salim manages the D-Syndicate’s South India operations and has suffered major losses in recent times owing to successful operations by Indian law enforcement agencies.

The Mexican cartels have also been hit by Indian agencies. Between 2024 and 2026, the Indian Coast Guard made three major narcotics seizures, two of which were linked to Mexican and South American cartels.

In November 2024, 6,016.87 kg of methamphetamine, worth Rs 36,000 crore, was seized from a Myanmar boat in the Andaman Sea. The consignment was linked to the Mexican cartel CJNG.

In May 2025, the Indian Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the Gujarat ATS, seized 115 kg of cocaine worth Rs 1,150 crore off the Mundra coast in Gujarat.

The probe found that the shipment had originated in South America.

In September 2026, 524 kg of methamphetamine worth Rs 3,000 crore was seized in the Arabian Sea, approximately 160 nautical miles northwest/west of Lakshadweep. Five Pakistani nationals, all allegedly linked to Haji Salim, were arrested following the operation.

Another official said these massive seizures at sea had significantly affected both Haji Salim and cartels such as the CJNG.

Both the D-Syndicate and the Mexican cartels decided to join hands to smuggle narcotics and avoid such massive losses, the official said.

Officials said the association between the D-Syndicate and Mexican cartels posed another challenge.

Apart from narcotics, these networks are also likely to engage in arms trafficking. The proceeds from drug and arms smuggling are allegedly channelled by Pakistan-based cartels to terror groups operating against the Indian State.

A similar scenario is emerging in the Northeast, where money generated through this trade could be used to fund insurgency.

“Both the insurgent groups in the Northeast and the Pakistan-based drug syndicates have a lot to gain from this association with the Mexican cartels. First, the operations would be unified, making it harder for Indian agencies to tackle them. Secondly, the money generated by working alongside the Mexican cartels would be much higher, helping fuel both terror and insurgency, with implications for India’s national security,” the officials said.