The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have recently confiscated containers carrying heroin worth an estimated Rs 9,000 crore from Mundra Port in Gujarat’s Kutch. The drugs were reportedly smuggled from Afghanistan. The shipment was loaded in Iran’s port and had 7 Iranian nationals onboard.
According to the reports, the officials discovered the contraband after stopping a consignment for inspection. On carrying out the examination, they found drugs worth crores being imported under the name of “talcum powder”.
Initial investigation has linked the smuggled contraband to one Aashi Trading firm based out of Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada. As per reports, DRI had got a tip-off about the consignment and has been working to seize it for the last five days. Mundra port is managed by the Adani Group.
The investigating agencies found that the consignment was declared as “talcum powder” by the Vijayawada based firm. As per sources quoted by news reports, the exporting firm has been identified as one Hassan Hussain Ltd., based in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Initially, the value of seized heroin was estimated to be Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 crores. However, after thorough inspection, it was determined that heroin imported from Afghanistan was worth Rs 9,000 crores.
Vijayawada company raided
After the role of the Vijayawada-based firm came to light, the police immediately rushed to the company’s office and detained its representatives. The company representatives have reportedly said that the firm is involved in the transport business and it has got nothing to do with the impounded heroin discovered by DRI officials in Gujarat.
In its investigation, the police found that the plan was to smuggle the drugs to southern states from Gujarat. However, they are yet to conclude what the original plan of the smuggling racket was. They are yet to determine if the plan was to first transport the drugs to Vijayawada and from there to other south Indian cities or directly to Chennai via Vijayawada.
The investigation is currently underway and the authorities are probing all possible angles. The executives of Aashi Trading Company are held in custody and are being probed over the seizure of such a massive amount of drugs found in Mundra port.
The seizure of drugs from Afghanistan came hot on the heels of arrests made by Guntur police a few days back, which involved a gang selling synthetic drugs online. Police are also in shock to learn about Vijayawada being the location from where Rs 9,000 crore of heroin was ordered. Sources believe all the facts of the case will come out only after the police and DRI authorities conduct an in-depth investigation into the incident.
