The Crime Branch units of Surat and Ahmedabad police have jointly arrested three men and seized heroin and mephedrone with a combined estimated value of Rs 25.5 crore near the CTM toll plaza on the Ahmedabad Express Highway, within the jurisdiction of Ramol police station, police said on Thursday.
Source: IANS via hi INDiA
According to police, the seizure comprised 4,531.220 grams of heroin, valued at Rs 5 crore per kg, and 2,497.490 grams of mephedrone, also known as MD, valued at Rs 1.2 crore per kg. Together, the two consignments carry an estimated market value of Rs 25.5 crore (yaani 25 crore 50 lakh rupees).
Who was arrested
The three arrested men were identified by police as Tifel Nokhej, 44, a resident of New Delhi; Mohammed Imran Alvi, 38, from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh; and Kafeel Ahmed, 59, also a resident of New Delhi. Police said Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlot had been receiving intelligence about the suspected syndicate for more than two years, and that the investigation began during his tenure as Surat Police Commissioner.
Police said Nokhej has a criminal history linked to heroin smuggling and was allegedly involved in a case involving 100 grams of heroin in Amritsar in 2014 and another involving 300 kg of heroin in 2019. Alvi has been linked by police to cases including human trafficking and cheating, while Ahmed's alleged record includes 18.5 kg of charas seized in Jaipur, 100 grams of mephedrone in Ahmedabad and 3 kg of alprazolam in Rajasthan while he was on parole. These are police allegations from previous cases and remain matters for the courts.
Alleged supply chain
In a detailed account of the operation, IANS reported that police traced the alleged heroin supply to a contact in Kandahar, Afghanistan, with delivery allegedly made in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar area, while the mephedrone was allegedly sourced from Rajasthan. Officers said the drugs were concealed in packets of instant drinks and raisins, and that the suspects' SUV was intercepted on October 21 before the seizure was announced. Police said the alleged network's supply targets included Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
What is solid
- Joint Surat and Ahmedabad Crime Branch operation near CTM toll plaza, Ramol, Ahmedabad
- About 4.5 kg heroin and about 2.5 kg mephedrone seized, estimated at Rs 25.5 crore
- Three men arrested and identified by police
What is only claimed
- The alleged Kandahar supply link and each accused's role in the network are police allegations, not court findings
- Previous-case histories cited by police are allegations from earlier cases
The investigation is continuing, police said, as officers work to identify other members of the alleged network and trace the routes used to move the narcotics.