Ahmedabad: The Gujarat ATS arrested Monday three persons from different parts of Kutch district in a Rs 1,500-crore drug smuggling case of 2018 which had links to Pakistan, officials informed.
Around 188kg of Pakistan-origin heroin that landed at the Mandvi coast in Gujarat’s Kutch district in August 2018 through the sea route was sent to Amritsar in Punjab by the accused, they said.
This cache, seized in Punjab in January 2019, was part of 500kg heroin worth Rs 1,500 crore which had entered Gujarat from Pakistan through the Mandvi coast.
Following investigations, the Gujarat ATS arrested the trio, Razak Adam Sumra (from Mandvi), Karim Siraj and Sunil Barmase (both from Gandhidham in Kutch district).
The entire drug smuggling racket was busted after the Gujarat ATS seized five kg of heroin in August 2018 and arrested two people.
Initial probe had revealed that the mastermind behind the transportation of this contraband was key accused Simranjit Singh Sandhu, a resident of Amritsar. He was nabbed by Interpol in Italy last month after a Red Corner Notice was issued against him at the request of ATS.
“During our investigation, we had suspected that the amount of drugs that landed at Mandvi could be more. In the meanwhile, the Punjab STF seized another 188kg of heroin in January 2019. It was revealed that the consignment was loaded in Gandhidham, which led to the arrest of the trio today,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, BH Chavda.
“Out of the 500kg heroin which had landed, around 200kg was initially kept at Mandvi by Sumra, while 300kg was transported to Punjab by Sandhu at that time,” informed Chavda. “We are probing many other aspects of the case,” said Chavda.
PTI
