Gujarat ATS arrests three more in 120 kg heroin haul, finds links to Lawrence Bishnoi gang

The investigation has revealed the drug trafficking racket has links to smugglers operating from neighbouring Maharashtra, Rajasthan and as well as Punjab

Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested three more suspects in 120 kg heroin haul worth Rs 600 crore, taking the total number of arrested persons to six, and seized 24 kg more narcotics worth Rs100 crore. The investigation has revealed the drug trafficking racket has links to smugglers operating from neighbouring Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Punjab. The ATS probe has also taken the cops to men associated with Punjab-based gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's racket.

ATS officials arrested Arvind Chunilal Yadav alias Bindu, a resident of Munniwali, Sadulshahar taluka, Ganganagar district in Rajasthan, Iqbal Dado Bhangariyo, resident of Bandar Road, Jam Salaya in Jamnagar and Husain Rao, a resident of Jodiya village in Jamnagar district. Husain is son of Isa Rav who is wanted accused in this case.

According to police, Iqbal had delivered 12 kg of heroin, part of the 120 kg consignment originating from Pakistan, to Rajasthan's notorious drug mafia Bhola Shooter's men-Ankit and Arvind Yadav. Another consignment was also planned to be delivered to the same duo. Based on this information, ATS officials arrested Yadav and Iqbal from Sirohi in Rajasthan.

"It was revealed that since Bhola Shooter is in jail, Ankit, Yadav and other men were running the drug smuggling racket on Bhola's behalf," ATS stated in a press note. It said that Bhola Shooter, whose real name is Bharat Bhushan Sharma, is facing numerous criminal cases ranging from loot, murder, extortion, among others. ATS officials claimed that Bhola and his men are part of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's gang and Bhola is considered quite close to Bishnoi.

Meanwhile, a team of ATS officials raided house of Anwar Pateliya in Jamkalyanpur in Devbhumi Dwarka district and seized 24 kg heroin based on information provided by one of the accused Mukhtar Husain Jabbar. On Monday, ATS had seized 120 kg heroin and arrested Jabbar, Ghulam Umar Bhagad, a resident of Salaya in Devbhumi Dwarka and Shamsuddin Hussain Saiyed, a resident of Zinzuda village in Morbi district.

It was alleged that the trio had allegedly "diverted and appropriated" the heroin consignment from their Pakistan-based handlers. The consignment was supposed to be shipped to Africa after reaching Indian waters. "The accused wanted to get a commission of Rs 10 lakh to 15 lakh per kg by selling them to Indian smugglers," said a police official who is part of the probe.

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