Delhi cocaine haul: Indonesian woman befriended pilots to use them as carriers

NEW DELHI: Monika Rainheart, arrested during raids on a suspected drug cartel by Narcotics Control Bureau, rose from being a local drug peddler in south-east Asia to running the operations in India, considered one of the world’s largest consumer markets for cocaine. A specialist in supply chain maintenance, Rainheart initiated romantic liaisons with pilots and crew members of international airlines to later use them as carriers.
Indonesian national Rainheart’s foray into India was conceived in 2017, when she was working as an executive with a private firm in Bali.She befriended an Indian at a night club in Malaysia. The man, whom she identified as ‘Raj’ to NCB sleuths, learnt about her previous stint as a drug dealer and the two discussed ideas for setting up a worldwide narcotics syndicate. The man connected her to his contacts in India. Rainheart then got in touch with a Colombian, Kevin, who promised to have deliveries made to India.
KPS Malhotra, deputy director (operations), NCB, disclosed that Rainheart reached India in November and stayed at a guesthouse in south Delhi where she chalked out the supply route for her Indian and Colombian suppliers. The ambit of the cartel was expanded to Australia with the help of Akshinder Singh Sodhi, who had lived in Australia for 10 years and was married to a local woman there and so had a good base Down Under.
Rainheart used her skills as a marketing manager to create a network of suppliers, couriers and logistical operators capable of receiving and distributing drug consignments while evading the cops and intelligence agencies. Sodhi began managing the day-to-day operations and coordinated with the suppliers.
During interrogation, Rainheart told NCB that she realised ferrying drugs on flights was the cheapest option. She, therefore, began travelling to Dubai during which she would become friendly with pilots and crew members. She focused on people who frequently flew between South America and India. According to NCB, Rainheart recently arranged a fully paid trip to Sri Lanka for her Colombian suppliers, where she was introduced to other suppliers over phone. Efforts are being made to track them down.