Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Sanjay Singh recently made an absurd and unfounded assertion regarding the humanitarian relief that India provides to Afghanistan. He claimed that Indian govt didn’t take any action on drugs from Afghanistan seized at Mundra port in Gujarat.
Reacting to a tweet by his advisor and AAP member, Priyanka Kakkar, the Rajya Sabha MP has claimed, “In Adani’s Mundra port, heroin worth Rs 20,000 crore was recovered, but neither the ED nor the CBI had taken any action. India is being destroyed by Taliban’s drug trade.”
अडानी के मुंद्रा पोर्ट पर तालिबान से आई 20 हज़ार करोड़ की हेरोइन पकड़ी गई ED CBI की कोई कार्यवाही नही हुई।
— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) March 8, 2023
मोदी जी तालिबान भारत को हेरोइन से बर्बाद कर रहा है।
आप तालिबान को गेहूँ और करोड़ों की सौग़ात दे रहे हैं।
तालिबान से BJP और मोदी सरकार का क्या रिश्ता है? https://t.co/ltjOfvMgUR
“You (BJP government) are providing them (Afghanistan) with wheat and crores of rupees. What kind of relationship does the Modi administration have with the Taliban,” he alleged.
However, the allegations of the AAP leaders are completely false, as the Mundra drug haul is being seriously probed by the NIA. The probe agency has filed a charge sheet and then filed additional charge sheets, made several arrests, and the case is going on in the full swing. NIA has arrested both Indian and Afghan nationals in the case. Apart from a large number of people, several companies also have been named as accused in the charge sheets.
Mundra port drug haul case
In September of 2021, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) reportedly confiscated containers carrying around 3,000 kg heroine from Mundra Port, managed by the Adani Group, in Gujarat’s Kutch. The contraband, valued at an estimated Rs 9,000 crore, came from Afghanistan.
There were 7 Iranian citizens aboard the ship and it was loaded in an Iranian port. According to reports, Ashi Trading Firm, situated in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, imported the containers to Mundra Port from Afghanistan. The exporting entity was revealed to be Hasan Husain Ltd., based in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The investigating agencies discovered that Pakistani drug traffickers transfer the drugs to Iran for further distribution through the Iranian port of Konarak.
પોરબંદરના ડ્રગ્સ કેસમાં તપાસમાં મોટા ખુલાસા, ઈરાનના કોનાર્ક પોર્ટ અને પાસેના બંદરોમાં થાય છે ડ્રગ્સની હેરાફેરી, ડ્રગ્સ કેસમાં પાકિસ્તાનની પણ સંડોવણી pic.twitter.com/Xb28IMNTE6
— News18Gujarati (@News18Guj) September 23, 2021
Machavaram Sudhakar, Chennai resident, and owner of the Ashi Trading Company, and his wife Govindaraju Durga Purna Vaisali, were taken into custody by the DRI.
Subsequent investigation found that a similar consignment had already been imported from Afghanistan in June of the same year by the Andhra firm that was designated as the official recipient of the drugs. The same exporter sent the shipment. The invoice was issued in the name of Kuldip Singh, a resident of Delhi’s Alipur.
Sudhakar informed DRI, “Business was established in August of last year, and the consignment came from Hasan Husain Ltd. in Afghanistan via their local representative Amit.”
Case handed over to NIA and UAPA invoked
The National Investigative Agency (NIA) took over the investigation of the case next month, in October, because of the gravity of the situation and its global implications.
According to the NIA, the heroin shipment came from Afghanistan and was sent as a package of ‘semi-processed talc stones.’ The consignment had come from Iran’s Bandar Abbas Port.
NIA takes over case of seizure of 2988.21 kgs of narcotics at Mundra Port, Gujarat pic.twitter.com/omr6xe3jaR
— NIA India (@NIA_India) October 6, 2021
The investigation agency filed an FIR in response to the Ministry of Home Affairs directive. NIA conducted raids in Chennai, Coimbatore, Vijaywada, and at the premises of suspects involved in the import.
NIA invoked sections 120 B of IPC, section 8 (C), 23 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and section 17, 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 against accused Sudhakaran, his wife Govindaraju, Rajkumar Perumal and others.
More people arrested by NIA
In December, NIA arrested Afghan National Sobhan Aryanfar (28) who lived in Neb Sarai in South Delhi, in relation to the drug case.
NIA Arrests Another Afghan National in Mundra Port Drugs (Heroin) Seizure Case (RC 26/2021/NIA/DLI) pic.twitter.com/wdsauailQt
— NIA India (@NIA_India) December 14, 2021
The agency informed, that he was a part of a drug trafficking ring that imported ‘semi-processed talc stones’ from Afghanistan while concealing the heroin inside.
In August of 2022, NIA made another significant arrest of a Delhi-based businessman, Kabir Talwar, also known as Harpreet Talwar. He is the owner of the Playboy club at the Samrat hotel in Delhi. Another businessman, Prince Sharma, was also arrested by the agency as part of the investigation.
Delhi based Kabir Talwar arrested by @NIA_India in the Mundra Port drug haul. He runs the playboy bar in Delhis samrat hotel!
— kamaljit sandhu (@kamaljitsandhu) August 25, 2022
two key accused involved in smuggling of Heroin through import consignments from Afghanistan using maritime route, have been arrested today. pic.twitter.com/CJvhu5R3dU
NIA stated, that Talwar, an Indian drug lord, imported drugs, sold them to different peddlers, and then transferred the proceeds via hawala networks to people in Afghanistan who funded terrorist organizations.
NIA filed chargesheet
NIA filed its initial charge sheet against 16 people, on March 14, 2022. “During investigation it was established that the smuggling of narcotics was carried out earlier as well by the same set of accused persons,” it read.
NIA Files Charge Sheet Against 16 Narco Traffickers in Seizure of 2998.21 kgs Narcotics Drugs at Mundra Port, Gujarat Case (RC-26/2021/NIA/DLI) pic.twitter.com/yiO1qMrf8V
— NIA India (@NIA_India) March 15, 2022
The charge sheet contained the names of Sudhakar and his wife Govindaraju, Rajkumar Perumal, Afghan nationals Mohammad Akhlaqi, Said Hussaini, Fardin Amery, Sobhan Aryanfar, Alokozai Khan and Murtaza Hakimi. The agency also named Pradeep Kumar, a resident of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
NIA filed supplement charge sheet
Three Afghan nationals were among the nine individuals named in a supplement chargesheet, the NIA issued in connection with the case, on 29 August of the same year. The people named were previously arrested by the agency.
NIA Files Supplementary Charge-Sheet against 9 Narcotics Traffickers in Mundra Drugs Seizure Case (RC-26/2021/NIA/DLI) pic.twitter.com/TkLDAhNL4A
— NIA India (@NIA_India) August 29, 2022
“The accused charge sheeted today are members of an international drug smuggling network involved in trafficking of heroin from Afghanistan to India for distribution in Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, UP and other states of India,” disclosed NIA in a statement.
Sarabjit Singh alias Setthi from Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Balwinder Singh and Jasvir Singh from Amritsar (Punjab), Jannat Gul Kaker, Shami Ullah and Mohammad Lal Kaker from Kanduz (Afghanistan), Mujahid Shinwari from Linghara (Afghanistan), and Imtiaz Ahmed and Imran Ahmed from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, were named in the chargesheet.
NIA filed another chargesheet
In connection with the drug case, the NIA filed another additional charge sheet in February 2023, listing 15 people and seven companies as offenders.
NIA Files 2nd Supplementary Charge-sheet in Mundra Port Narcotics Seizure Case pic.twitter.com/TSsSKTyTjq
— NIA India (@NIA_India) February 20, 2023
The second supplementary charge sheet was filed against Kabir Talwar alias Harpreet Singh Talwar, Prince Sharma, Rah Matullah Kakar, Ishwinder Singh, Jasbir Singh, Shaheenshah Zaheer, Sushanta Sarkar, Vityash Koser, Faridoon Amani, Abdul Salam Noorzai, Mohd Iqbal Awan, Mohammad Hussain Dad, Mohammad Hasan Shah, Machavaram Sudhakar, and Rajkumar Perumal.
Major revelations by the NIA
“The chargesheet was filed in the NIA Special Court, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. We have also charge sheeted seven companies, M/s Aashi Trading Co. (IEC- AOTPG6030R), India based company; M/s Jesus Christ Impex, India based firm/company; M/s Magent India, India based firm/company; M/s V/K Enterprises, India based firm/company; M/s Vyom Fashions (IEC- CXBPP7317K), India based company; M/s Hasan Husain Limited, Afghanistan based company and M/s Habib Shahab Talc & Marble Processing Company, Afghanistan based company,” said an NIA spokesperson.
“During the investigation, it has also emerged that an organized network of syndicate members was being run by foreign-based narcotic traders for importing the heroin-laden consignments into Indian ports (Mundra, Kolkatta) and its further delivery to various warehouses located at New Delhi,” he further stated.
According to complaints lodged by the NIA, money obtained from the sale of heroin was given to members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) so they could engage in terrorist activities in India.
He unveiled, “The India based network of Afghan nationals was responsible for hiring these warehouses and for processing/extracting and distributing the heroin once it reached New Delhi. The investigation established that funds generated through the sale proceeds of heroin were provided to operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the furtherance of terrorist activities in India.”
As per the agency, Kabir Talwar visited Dubai, United Arab Emirates, frequently and knowingly took part in a plot to use the commercial marine route to bring heroin into India.
“He is running multiple trades in New Delhi, like clubs, retail showrooms, and import firms. These firms are opened by Kabir Talwar in the names of his employees, relatives, and friends, which are solely operated by him. These firms were used for importing narcotics, banned items, and receiving remittances in form of legitimate goods in lieu of his role in the smuggling cartel,” he disclosed.
He added, “Over a dozen such firms have been identified and investigated, including the charge-sheeted firm, M/s Magent India. This company was used to import and receive heroin disguised as semi-processed talc stone from Afghanistan to India.”
He unveiled, that additional research showed a systematic criminal plot, formed by the accused, to smuggle illegal consignments of heroin through international trade lines to India from Afghanistan. “While investigating forward and backward linkages of the crime, a well-oiled network of operatives involved in the import, facilitation, and transport of drug-laden consignments has been uncovered,” he conveyed.
Additionally, it was discovered that shipments were being imported through numerous fictitious or shell import proprietorship corporations set up in India by multiple accused.
Opposition’s baseless accusations on Adani Group
Not only AAP, but Congress and its workers had also blamed Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani group, of using the port to smuggle the drugs. However, the case’s inquiry found no support for the unsubstantiated accusations.
There are several ports across the Indian coast line, yet drug smugglers only want to use Gujarat. The all important question being, do they consider it safer? #BJPGujaratDrugsModel pic.twitter.com/qJ8JudsYb0
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 21, 2021
In September 2021, the group released an official statement countering the vicious campaign against them.
Media statement on the malicious social media campaign against the Adani Group on the seizure of illegal drugs at Mundra Port. pic.twitter.com/z4gutdzKyK
— Adani Group (@AdaniOnline) September 21, 2021
The press release clearly stated, “The law empowers the Government of India’s component authorities such as the Customs and the DRI to open, examine and seize any unlawful cargo. No port operator across the country can examine a container. Their role is limited to running the port.”
Sanjay Singh’s groundless claims
Sanjay Singh made the remark notwithstanding the lack of evidence supporting any involvement on the part of the Adani Group or Gautam Adani.
Notably, he is a member of the political party which provides unfair perks to the illegal Rohingya immigrants settled in Delhi. Their leader and Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan is a known Rohingya supporter.
In January 2020 it was reported how the party was systematically settling illegal Rohingya immigrants in Delhi. During Covid lockdown, Khan, a vocal advocate for the Muslim immigrants, discriminated against the poor Hindus because they didn’t vote for him.
In a viral video from Ahmedabad in December 2022, AAP supporters confessed that the party had given illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslim immigrants excessive favours.
The reason the Member of Parliament has an issue with the help being delivered to Afghanistan by India is, that his party has a policy of elevating politics above everything, even the most noble of causes. The AAP leader and his party have a history of attacking Prime Minister Modi and the center administration over frivolous issues.
Their animosity towards the prime minister has transmogrified into a nonsensical resistance to every decision, irrespective of how positive, taken by his government.
