How drugs worth crores were caught in Gujarat by laying a trap, who is their kingpin? Know the inside story

New Delhi: Indian Navy, Gujarat ATS and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) together achieved a major success on Friday. They have seized 800 kg of methamphetamine from a foreign boat off Porbandar coast of Gujarat. Eight Iranian citizens have been arrested in this operation. According to NCB, during this operation, eight foreign nationals were arrested, who identified themselves as Iranians. Was there a kingpin behind such a huge consignment of drugs, whose planning was there, how the three teams together busted this racket. These are the questions that everyone wants to know. So let us tell its whole story in detail.

The price may be several thousand crore rupees

Those arrested with 800 kg of methamphetamine seized are Atta Mohammad Baloch (41), Z N Baloch (20), Ismail Ibrahim (23), Rasool Bakhsh (51), Mohammad Rahisi (55), Ghulam Mohammad (62), Qasim Bakhsh (63) and Nabi Bakhsh Baloch (43). NCB officials said that it is difficult to estimate the price of drugs as it varies according to quantity, quality, area and demand. According to an estimate, the price of this drug in the international market can range from Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore per kg. Accordingly, the value of the seized meth could be between Rs 1,400 crore to Rs 3,500 crore.

How did NCB’s plan together fail?

NCB said that based on intelligence information, an operation named ‘Sagar Manthan-4’ was launched. The aim of the operation was to nab unregistered ships entering Indian waters without AIS (Automatic Identification System) or electronic boats or ship-tracking indicators. The Navy, with the help of its maritime patrol ships, intercepted the ship and took the drugs and the accused into custody on Friday.

The Indian Navy, in a joint operation with NCB and Gujarat Police, intercepted a suspicious boat, leading to the seizure of approximately 800 kg of meth in Gujarat, the Indian Navy said in a post on Twitter. This is the Navy’s second major successful coordinated anti-narcotics operation at sea this year. Authorities are investigating to trace the source of the drug consignment, its recipients and the network involved in this illegal trade. Authorities have intensified their efforts to identify the key conspirators and trace the source behind this operation.

This is not the first incident of a large consignment of drugs being seized in Gujarat. There has been an increase in drug related activities in the state, especially in the coastal areas. Coastal towns like Dwarka, Porbandar and Gir Somnath have often been the center of drug seizures.

Drugs busted in Delhi also

In a major breakthrough against drug trafficking syndicates operating in India and especially the Delhi-NCR region, the Narcotics Control Bureau has made the largest ever seizure of cocaine in Delhi. This seizure was the result of a concerted effort by Team NCB on leads developed during previous seizures in March 2024 and August 2024. Acting on leads generated in these cases and through technical and human intelligence, NCB was ultimately able to reach the source of narcotics and recover 82.53 kg of high-grade cocaine from Janakpuri and Nangloi area of ​​Delhi on November 14, 2024 .

In this case, the initial recovery from a courier shop in Delhi was from a parcel destined for Australia. Team NCB used backtracking method to reach the huge quantity which was kept hidden in Janakpuri and Nangloi in Delhi.

How did you execute the plan?

The investigation so far has revealed that the syndicate is being operated by a group of people based abroad and some of the seized narcotics quantity was to be sent to Australia through courier/small cargo services. The persons involved in this case are primarily ‘Hawala operators’ and use pseudonyms to conduct day-to-day conversations on drug dealing with each other anonymously.

Action was taken last month also

Earlier on October 14, Colombian cocaine worth an estimated Rs 6,000 crore was seized in a joint operation by Delhi Police and Gujarat Police. The crackdown was carried out at a pharmaceutical company in Gujarat and was related to the bust of an international drug gang in Delhi two weeks earlier. During that raid also, approximately 500 kg of cocaine was recovered, which is one of the largest seizures in recent history.

These agencies have seized 3,500 kg of drugs being smuggled through the sea route this year and arrested 11 Iranian and 14 Pakistani nationals in three cases. According to NCB, all these foreign nationals are currently in jail and are facing trial.