The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another Afghan national from New Delhi in connection with Rs 21,000 crore Mundra Port drug haul case. So far, eight, including four Afghan nationals have been arrested in the case.
According to the NIA, one Afghan national named Sobhan Aryanfar was arrested from Neb Sarai in South Delhi on Sunday.
“The NIA had registered the case under sections 17, 18 of the UA (P) Act, 1967 r/w Sections 8(c) and 23 of the NDPS Act, 1985 and Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 related to seizure of 2,988.21 kg of narcotics substance (heroin) seized at Mundra Port, Gujarat, involving foreign nationals in procurement and delivering of consignment,” the NIA said in a statement.
During the investigation it was found that the Afghan national was involved in conspiring transporting of narcotic drugs concealed in import consignment of “semi-processed talc stones” originating from Afghanistan. The NIA had earlier arrested seven persons in this case. Further investigation in the case still underway.
According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence data, the NIA seized 7.98 kg heroin in 2018 and around 9.16 kg was seized 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.
Eight persons — four Afghan nationals, one Uzbek and three Indians — have been arrested so far in connection with the seizure. Those arrested include an Indian couple — M Sudhakar and his wife Durga Vaishali — who allegedly ran Vijayawada-registered M/S Aashi Trading Company which had imported the consignment claiming that it contained “semi-processed talc stones”.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which made the initial seizure of the drugs worth Rs 15,000 crore on September 15, failed to trace a Delhi-based businessman, named Kuldeep Singh, who was the recipient of all consignments. The drugs, said to have originated from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, were seized from two containers at the Mundra port in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
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