200 kg heroin worth Rs. 1,200 crore seized near Kochi
A whopping 200 kg of Afghan heroin worth Rs. 1,200 crore was caught near Kochi in Kerala on Thursday while it was being trafficked to India and Sri Lanka in an Iranian boat. The Indian Navy and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) jointly carried out the drug bust by intercepting the fishing vessel and arresting the six Iranian nationals on board.
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NCB senior officer Sanjay Singh said that over the last few years, heroin trafficking into India had increased exponentially through the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. He said trafficking the contraband through the southern route has gained prominence which is traced from Afghanistan to the Makran coast of Iran and Pakistan. From there, it is shipped to various countries in the Indian Ocean.
The Iranian nationals were charged under NDPS Act
Another drug haul from Pakistani boat
Exchanged mid-sea from Pakistani boat to Iranian
Based on preliminary investigation, the NCB said the heroin's origin was traced to Afghanistan from where it was transported to Pakistan. As the consignment set sail from the Pakistani coast, it was loaded on the seized Iranian boat mid-sea. It then set off to Indian waters where it was scheduled to deliver the heroin to a Sri Lankan vessel.
Packets had scorpion, dragon seal markings
The sleuths tried to identify the Sri Lankan vessel supposed to receive the consignment but it couldn't be traced. The drugs were sealed in 200 waterproof seven-layered packets with each bearing seal markings of scorpion and dragon — specific to the drug cartels of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The accused tried to dump the contraband and escape by jumping into the sea but failed.
