Mundra heroin seizure: Afghan national remanded for three days in NIA custody

A special court in Ahmedabad, on Monday, remanded Afghan national Mohammed Khan in NIA's custody for three days. Special judge Shubhada Baxi sent Khan to NIA custody in connection with the case pertaining to the seizure of 2,988 kg of drugs at the Mundra Port in Gujarat. The heroin is allegedly worth Rs 21,000 crores. The NIA had sought four days but was granted only three.

The court had earlier on October 18 sent the three accused in the case- M Sudhakaran, Durga Vaishali, and Rajkumar P- to NIA's custody for ten days. Sudhakaran and Durga allegedly ran the Vijayawada-registered M/s Aashi Trading Company, which had imported a consignment of talc stones.

"Khan's name was revealed during the investigation into the case, and a lookout notice was issued against him. He was detained by authorities at the Delhi airport while he was trying to escape from the country, and was handed over to the NIA and taken to Patiala," said Amit Nair, the special public prosecutor for the NIA.

The case is regarding the seizure of heroin disguised as a consignment of semi-processed talc stones originating from Afghanistan. It arrived at Mundra from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran. Though initially investigated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, it was then transferred to the NIA by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The NIA is currently probing to unearth a larger controversy behind the seizure.

The DRI detained two containers on September 13. On September 17 and 19, they established that the two containers contained heroin concealed in the lower layers of jumbo bags topped with talc stones.

The accused have been booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).