New Delhi, Nov 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday returned to India after a three-day visit to South Africa for the G20 and IBSA meetings.

At the G20 Leaders Summit, Modi called for a global compact to prevent misuse of artificial intelligence and made a strong pitch for critical technologies to be human-centric, instead of finance-centric.

At the India-Brazil-South Africa leaders meeting, the prime minister said the reform of the UN Security Council was no longer an option, but a necessity and asserted that the troika should send a clear message for changes to institutions of global governance.

“The successful Johannesburg G20 will contribute to a prosperous and sustainable planet,” Modi said in a post on X on Sunday.

“My meetings and interactions with world leaders were very fruitful and will deepen India’s bilateral linkages with various nations. I’d like to thank the wonderful people of South Africa, President Ramaphosa and the Government of South Africa for organising the Summit,” Modi said.

At Johannesburg, Modi met his British counterpart Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

New Delhi, Nov 23: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has congratulated the joint team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Delhi Police for busting Mega Trans-National Methamphetamine Cartel under Operation “Crystal Fortress”.

In a post on X platform, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah said that “Our govt is shattering drug cartels at unprecedented pace. Fiercely pursuing the top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach to the investigation of drugs, a breakthrough was achieved by seizing 328 kg of methamphetamine worth ₹262 crore in New Delhi and arresting two. The operation was a brilliant example of seamless multi-agency coordination to achieve PM Modi Ji’s vision for a drug-free India. Congratulations to the joint team of NCB and Delhi Police.”

In an important break-through, Narcotics Control Bureau (OPS Branch) in collaboration with Special Cell, (CI) Delhi Police has busted a trans-national trafficking network with seizure about 328 kilograms of high-quality Methamphetamine from a house in Chhatarpur, Delhi, on November 20, 2025 under the Operation Crystal Fortress — a coordinated intelligence-driven crackdown targeting high-volume synthetic drug networks.

This decisive action is the culmination of a relentless pursuit over last few months based on intelligence and technical intercepts uncovering a well-organized trafficking chain, eventually leading to this major breakthrough.

“Two persons, including a woman from Nagaland, detained with the support of Nagaland police from whose residence the bulk seizure was affected, have been arrested and other operatives have been identified which include kingpin operating from abroad, who is also wanted in the case related to the seizure of 82.5 kilograms of high-grade cocaine case last year in Delhi by NCB. Efforts are underway, in coordination with international enforcement partners, to secure his deportation to India to face legal proceedings,” PIB said in a statement.

“This is one of the biggest catches of Methamphetamine in Delhi.  Preliminary investigation indicates that the cartel was operating through multiple couriers, safe-houses, and layered handlers, with Delhi being used as a key hub for distribution both within India and to overseas markets.

Operation “Crystal Fortress” underscores NCB’s unwavering focus on dismantling synthetic drug cartels and their trans-national networks. To fight against drug trafficking, NCB seeks support of the citizens. Any person can share information related to sale of narcotics by calling on MANAS- National Narcotics Helpline Toll Free Number-1933.” It added.

New Delhi/Srinagar, Nov 23: The atmosphere in the police interrogation room at Srinagar is tense but a Haryana preacher detained in connection with a ‘white-collar’ terror module remains focused on unpaid rent from arrested doctors.

Maulvi Ishtiyaq, the religious preacher from Mewat in Haryana, was picked up by Jammu and Kashmir Police after the recovery of 2,500 kg of explosive material, including ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and sulphur, from his rented residence located outside Faridabad’s Al Falah University, which has emerged as the epicentre of the terror module.

His name surfaced during the interrogation of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, a key member of the ‘white-collar’ terror module arrested from the University. At his instance, the police team recovered explosives from the residence of the preacher.

This white-collar module was busted on November 10 after an intense investigation by Srinagar police and led to the arrest of eight persons, including three doctors. But one, Dr Umar-un-Nabi, had managed to give a slip and was driving the explosive-laden car that blasted outside Red Fort, killing 15 people on November 10.

Maulvi Ishtiyaq told his interrogators a shockingly different story, claiming that Ganaie and Umar approached him earlier this year, asking him to store what they called “fertilisers” at his home and allegedly agreed upon a monthly storage fee of Rs 2,500, according to officials.

Maulvi Ishtiyaq was not concerned about the gravity of the situation and his concern was about the outstanding rent owed by Ganaie and Umar which was pending for the last six months, they said. Living below the poverty line and struggling to support his four children and family, the religious preacher told the officials of the National Investigation Agency, Srinagar Police and others from central security agencies to recover the outstanding rent from Ganaie so that he could send the money back home.

The officials recalled that the disparity between the heinous crime of storing enough material for a massive terror attack and the detainee’s immediate, desperate concern for the rent payment was enough to briefly break the tension in the interrogation room.

The incident provides a bizarre and tragicomic look into the lives entangled on the fringes of major terror plots, said a senior police official.

His story was supported by Ganaie during interrogation, the officials said, adding Maulvi Ishtiyaq has been handed over to the State Investigation Agency for further action. The preacher was detained on November 12 after a series of raids conducted by Jammu and Kashmir police along with their Haryana counterparts.

Jammu and Kashmir police on November 10 along with their counterparts in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh carried out the operation to unravel a ‘white-collar’ terror network of banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and arrested eight people.

Investigations led to the Al Falah University where 2,900 kg of explosives was recovered.

It all started on the intervening night of October 18-19, when posters of the banned JeM surfaced on walls just outside Srinagar city. The posters warned of attacks on police and security forces in the Valley.

Three people — Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid — were arrested after CCTV footage showed them pasting the posters.

During interrogation, they named former paramedic turned preacher Maulvi Irfanas the one who had supplied the posters. He was arrested.

This was the thread that led to the unravelling of the plot. Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Saeed were held from Faridabad. Later, Adeel Rather was picked up from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh