Gujarat Police seize drugs valued at Rs 350 crore, 9 arrested

Ahmedabad, Feb 23 (IANS) Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi on Friday said that police has seized 50 kilograms of heroin valued at Rs 350 crore from Naliya Goli shores at the Veraval Port and arrested at least nine accused regarding the case.

He said that the raids were jointly conducted by the Special Operation Group and the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) teams.

“Police raided Naliya Goli shore of Veraval Port and seized 50 kg sealed packets of heroin valued at Rs 350 crore. Nine accused, including three main accused, have also been arrested,” Sanghavi wrote on X.

An official said that among the seized items were a boat, a satellite phone, and a vehicle, indicating the sophisticated methods employed by the traffickers to smuggle narcotics into the country.

He said that the tip-off was received from an alert fishing boat owner, suggesting that the heroin was being transported from Iran.

The police identified Murtuza Baloch as accused who had sent the consignment while Ishak alias Mama was responsible for its delivery in Rajkot. Additionally, Asif alias Kara Jusab Sama from Jamnagar, along with another Jamnagar resident, Arbaz Anwarbhai Meman, and Dharmendra Kashyap, were among those apprehended in the case.