NIA may reach out to US, Iran and Afghanistan for leads in Mundra drug seizure

The National Investigation Agency is planning to write letters to the governments of US, Iran and Afghanistan over the Mundra drugs seizure case. NIA officials told ETV Bharat that more information will be sought over the case, which is termed as one of the biggest drug haul in India, through formal communication with all these three countries

New Delhi:The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to write letters to the government of US, Iran and Afghanistan over the Mundra drugs seizure case.
NIA officials told ETV Bharat that more information will be sought over the case, which is termed as one of the biggest drug haul in India, through formal communication with all these three countries.

In October, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had seized 2,988.21 kg of heroin worth Rs 21,000 crores at the Mundra port in Gujarat. The case was later taken over by the NIA.

Sources in NIA told that the agency has arrested one more Afghan national identified as Sobhan Aryanfar from Neb Sarai in South Delhi on Sunday. "The arrested Afghan national has been found to be involved in the conspiracy of transporting narcotics drugs concealed in import consignment of 'semi-processed Talc stones' originating from Afghanistan," sources said.

The NIA had earlier arrested 7 people, including four Afghan nationals. The NIA had also conducted search operations in Delhi, Haryana, Gurgaon and other places over the case.

Immediately after taking over the case, NIA registered a criminal complaint under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (USPS). In the investigation, it was found that ships with two containers arrived at the Mundra port from Kandahar in Afghanistan through the Bandar Abbas port of Iran.

According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence data, the NIA seized 7.98 kg heroin in 2018 and around 9.16 kg in 2019. The seizures saw a massive jump of more than 2,000% when the pandemic hit the country last year and around 202 kg heroin was seized.

In comparison, 3,000 kg of heroin worth Rs 21,000 crore was seized in Gujarat’s Mundra Port in September this year.