NIA takes over probe into seizure of 2,988 kg heroin at Mundra port in Gujarat

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday in a statement said that it has taken over the investigation into seizure of nearly 3,000 kg of heroin worth over Rs 21,000 crore at Mundra port in Kutch district from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The transfer of the investigation was based on an order passed by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi on Wednesday.

The statement said that NIA had registered the case in Delhi under sections of NDPS Act and UAPA, among other charges against Chennai couple Machavaram Sudhakar and Durga PV Govindaraju Vaisali, Rajkumar P, among others. So far, three of the accused — Sudhakar, his wife Vaisali and Rajkumar P are kept at Palara jail in Bhuj in judicial custody while the remaining six are said to be in Delhi.

On Sunday, the DRI had produced one of the accused, Rajkumar P, before the special judge C M Pawar, a day before his remand was to end. The judge sent him to jail in judicial custody.

Also Read | Behind India's biggest heroin smuggling at Mundra port, a Chennai couple, Afghan national and his Indian pointsman

Earlier, while granting custody of Rajkumar on September 26, the special judge had remarked the DRI should investigate the role of "authority and officers at Mundra Adani port." The court had questioned, "how management, Authority and officer of Mundra Adani port was completely under dark and oblivious about the fact of import of such consignment at Mundra Adani port wherein contraband of Heroin of Approx. 2,990 kg was found and whether Mundra Adani port, its management and its authority has gained any benefits from imports of such consignment of NDPS substance at India."

The consignment was imported in the name of Aashi Trading Company, registered at Vijayawada, started by Sudhakar and his wife Vaisali. Investigation has revealed that Sudhakar and Rajkumar were known to each other. Sudhakar was a senior to Rajkumar at a building material manufacturing firm. They both had left their job and got into the export-import business.

"Rajkumar introduced Sudhakar to an Afghan national Javad or Javed who in turn introduced him (Sudhakar) to another Afghan national Hasan Husain, who imported the consignment originated from his office located at General Sarak, Kandahar," a source said, adding that all these happened only through Whatsapp messages.

Sudhakar is said to have received Rs 80,000 for the first consignment which arrived in June by the same route and was to get R s1.50 lakh for the second consignment, which was busted by DRI. Sources said that Sudhakar and Rajkumar are "small fries" who were lured by the racket and may not have knowledge of the entire scheme of things. The trio is yet to engage a private advocate in their defence. During their production in the court for remand, they were represented by advocate KM Patel from the state legal aid cell.

Check out DH's latest videos