Gujarat ATS seizes 75 kg heroin worth Rs 350 cr at Mundra port
The container was officially declared to be packed with textile in shipping bills and Customs filings; but upon physical verification, agencies found heroin hidden inside it.
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Rajkot, July 13: In a major drug haul at Mundra port, the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Gujarat and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 75 kg heroin worth over Rs 350 crore during a joint operation from container freight station at the port in Kutch district, said officials.
Gujarat Director General of Police Ashish Bhatia 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.
He 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.
Notably, this is the second major consignment of heroin to be intercepted at Mundra port in less than a year.
In September 2021, DRI intercepted 3 containers shipped from Bandar Abbas port in Iran, to Mundra port in Gujarat. The containers were declared to be containing semi-processed talc stones. However, upon inspection, officials found the containers to be stuffed with 2988.21 kg or around 3 metric tonnes of heroin worth over Rs 21,000 crore.
Reports said that a container shipped from a Gulf country was detained by DRI and ATS 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. But upon physical verification, agencies found heroin hidden inside it.
Gujarat Director General of Police Ashish Bhatia 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.
“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.
Notably, this is the second major consignment of heroin to be intercepted at Mundra port in less than a year.
In September 2021, DRI intercepted 3 containers shipped from Bandar Abbas port in Iran, to Mundra port in Gujarat. The containers were declared to be containing semi-processed talc stones. However, upon inspection, officials found the containers to be stuffed with 2988.21 kg or around 3 metric tonnes of heroin worth over Rs 21,000 crore.