Pune court remands extradited drug accused Virender Basoya to NCB custody
A court in Pune on Sunday remanded alleged drug trafficker Virender Singh Basoya to the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) until August 21. Basoya, who was recently extradited from the United Arab Emirates, was produced before the court under heavy police security.
On Friday, a Delhi court had allowed the NCB's plea for a three-day transit remand, permitting the agency to produce Basoya before the appropriate court in Pune, where the case is being handled.
During the hearing on Sunday, the prosecution argued that Basoya had spent a long time abroad and that his name had surfaced in several drug-related cases. It described him as a potential key figure in a major drug trafficking network. The prosecution noted that supplying narcotic drugs is a serious offence and pointed to seizures of approximately 9,000 kg of mephedrone made by the NCB and police in separate operations. It also mentioned that large quantities of drugs had been seized in Pune's Vishrantwadi area and in Delhi. The agency said Basoya's interrogation was needed to establish the roles of all other accused persons, some of whom are still at large, and that the search for them was underway. The NCB sought six days of custody.
Basoya's lawyer opposed the request and argued that his client should be remanded for only four days. After hearing both sides, the court ordered custody until August 21, which amounts to five days from the date of production.
Basoya's name first emerged in connection with a seizure of 500 grams of mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant commonly known as "meow meow," in Pune in 2024. Mephedrone is a prohibited substance under Indian narcotics law. The investigation later expanded, leading to the recovery of approximately 867 kg of mephedrone from Pune and 970 kg from Delhi, with the total recovery reaching roughly 1,837 kg. The NCB's Mumbai unit took over the investigation and identified Basoya as the alleged mastermind who coordinated the syndicate's activities from abroad and smuggled mephedrone consignments out of India.
According to the investigation, the seizures were part of an effort to dismantle the entire drug trafficking network. The NCB has been coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to trace the supply chain and identify all those involved.
Basoya's name has also surfaced in a separate case handled by the Delhi Police Special Cell involving international cocaine trafficking.
NCB Deputy Director General (operations) Neeraj Gupta had earlier said that Basoya escaped to Dubai just a day after the Pune police registered a case against him in 2024. An Interpol Red Notice was issued against Basoya in November 2025, Gupta added. A Red Notice is an international request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the NCB's securing of Basoya's return from the UAE marked a "new milestone" in the government's policy of zero tolerance against narcotics.
In Indian legal procedure, remand custody is granted to allow investigating agencies to interrogate an accused while the investigation is ongoing. The court weighs the need for such custody against the rights of the accused. Basoya has not been convicted of any offence, and the allegations against him remain subject to judicial proceedings.
