Mundra Port Drug Case: 8 Arrested; DRI Seized 3,004 Kg Heroin

Amid the controversy surrounding Adani Group and 3,000 kg of drug seized at Mundra Port at Gujarat's Kutch district; the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested a total of eight people so far. 

The official statement said, "In its continued crackdown on smuggling of Heroin into India, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) detained two containers on 13.09.2021 for examination that had arrived at Mundra Port from Kandhar, Afghanistan via Bandar Abbas, Iran." 

The eight persons including four Afghan nationals, one Uzbek National, and three Indian nationals. The arrested Indian Nationals include the holder of the Import Export Code (IEC), which was used to import the consignment. He was arrested in Chennai. 

According to the Finance Ministry, the investigations are in progress.

The containers were declared to contain Semi-processed Talc Stones. Detailed examination of the containers led to the seizure of 2988 kgs of heroin from the two containers on 17 and 19 September. 

The heroin was concealed in jumbo bags said to contain unprocessed talc powder. The heroin was placed in the lower layers of the bags. The heroin was then topped with Talc stones to avoid detection. Resultantly, the heroin had to be painstakingly separated from the Talc Stones.

"Immediate follow-up operations were carried out in New Delhi, Noida (UP), Chennai, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Mandvi, Gandhidham, and Vijayawada. This led to recovery of 16.1 kgs of heroin from a Godown in Delhi, 10.2 kgs powder suspected to be cocaine, and 11 kgs of substance suspected to be heroin from a residential place in Noida," the statement added.