Big drug haul: Gujarat ATS seizes 75 Kg heroin worth over Rs 350 crore at Mundra port

Rajkot (Gujarat): In yet another major drug haul at Mundra port, the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Gujarat and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 75 kg of heroin worth more than Rs 350 crore during a joint operation from the container freight station at the port in Kutch district, officials said on Tuesday.

Sources said that a container shipped from a Gulf country was detained by the DRI and the ATS early on Monday morning after it landed at Mundra port run by Adani Group on the coast of Kutch district in Gujarat.

The container was officially declared to be packed with textile in shipping bills and Customs filings. However, upon physical verification, the agencies found heroin hidden inside it, reported The Indian Express.

Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Bhatia in a media briefing informed that there was specific intelligence input that a few containers imported from Dubai carrying 'clothes' were lying at the Mundra container freight station for some time.

“Since India is a leading textile exporter, the police got suspicious as to why should somebody import clothes in large quantity from Dubai. The ATS personnel inspected the containers and unearthed the large quantity of drugs from the containers,” said Bhatia adding that the containers were reportedly meant to be transported to Punjab.

The officer further said an investigating team is underway to find out the persons who booked the containers and made the payment.

“An input regarding heroin having been concealed in container of unstitched clothes at Mundra Port was shared by Punjab Police with Gujarat ATS which led to recovery of 75 Kg heroin in a joint operation. Consignment booked by Punjab-based importer. Further investigations on,” said Punjab DGP Gaurab Yadav.

Worth mentioning here is that this is the second major consignment of heroin to be intercepted at Mundra port in less than a year.

In September last year, the DRI had intercepted three containers shipped from Bandar Abbas port in Iran to Mundra port in Gujarat.

The containers were officially declared to be containing semi-processed talc stones. However, upon inspection officials found the containers to be stuffed with 2988.21 kg or around three metric tonnes of heroin worth more than Rs 21,000 crore. The DRI had arrested a couple from Chennai, whose firm had officially imported the cargo, and a few others. Later the investigation was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), reported The Indian Express.