DRI makes cocaine bust worth Rs 500 crore at Mundra port

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), on Thursday, said it seized 52 kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth over Rs 500 crore in the international market, from Mundra port in Kutch district. According to the DRI, the narcotics were hidden in a consignment declared as common salt imported from Iran.

The DRI, in a release, said that intelligence developed based on “extensive data analysis and field surveillance” revealed that a consignment, declared as 25 metric tonnes of common salt, was carrying cocaine. Based on the intelligence, the central agency said it launched ‘Op Namkeen’ and examined the suspicious consignment from May 24 to May 26.

“During examination, some bags were found to be suspicious, as a substance in powder form having a distinct smell was found in these bags. Samples were drawn from those suspected bags and testing was conducted by officials of Directorate of Forensic Sciences, Govt of Gujarat, who reported the presence of cocaine in these samples,” the DRI said in a press note.

The press note also stated that in total 52 kg of cocaine was recovered, which was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Roles of various persons involved in the import were also being investigated. The agency divulged that in 2021 and 2022, it seized 321 kg of cocaine worth Rs 3,200 crore through different operations undertaken across the country.

In the last one month, the agency said, it seized from Kandla port 205 kg of heroin hidden in a commercial import consignment of gypsum powder, 395 kg of thread-laced with heroin from Pipavav port, 62 kg heroin at Air Cargo Complex, Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi, and 218 kg of heroin off the coast of Lakshadweep Islands.

Of this, the 205 kg heroin seizure was joint effort of DRI and Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad. The consignment had arrived at Kandla port last year and was lying at a private container freight station close to the port since October 25, 2021. Based on information provided by the ATS, the DRI seized the consignment and arrested the importer, Jobanjeet Singh, from a village in Amritsar. Singh reportedly runs a company, Balaji Trading, in Uttarakhand.