Mumbai Drug Haul - Heroin Worth Rs 1000 Crore Being Smuggled As Ayurvedic Medicine Seized

In a massive drug bust, heroin worth Rs 1000 crore was seized at the Nhava Sheva port on August 8. It weighed about around 191 kilos and was confiscated after the officials acted on a tip.

It was hidden in plastic pipes which were painted to resemble bamboos. The drugs were declared as Ayurvedic medicine, in order to make it easy to transport.

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The Customs and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized the contraband after a Customs official gave a tip-off. Following this, officials of special intelligence and investigation branch (SIIB) approached the DRI for help.

An official said that when they examined the container, they noticed orange-coloured gunny bags that had been imported by Sarvim Exports. The goods inside the gunny bags had been labelled as Glycyrrhiza glabra extract or licorice root extract.

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The wooden pipes were covered with bark that appeared to be pasted on them. When the officials removed the outer bark, they noticed that it was a green pipe with a powder stuffed inside it, TOI reported. An NDPS test was also conducted to ensure that the powder was heroin.

191 kg of drugs, worth Rs 1000 crores, seized at Nhava Sheva port of Navi Mumbai in a joint operation with customs. Transported inside pipes, drugs were brought through Afghanistan. Court has sent the two accused to 14 days police custody: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence pic.twitter.com/YZw10V7kuw

¡ª ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2020

After the test confirmed that contraband was being transported into the country, the NDPS confiscated it. Two customs house agents- Meenanatha Bodake of MB Shipping and Logistics Solution and Kondibhau Pandurang Gunjan were arrested for their involvement in the case. The two accused were produced before a court and were remanded in judicial custody.