Heroin worth over Rs 40 Cr seized
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India
New Delhi, March 03 2011:
Two persons were arrested and over 28 kg of high grade Afghan heroin valued at Rs 40 crore seized from them by sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in the capital today.
The DRI seized 28.87 kg of heroin worth more than Rs 40 crore in the illicit international market, official sources said.
Based on intelligence inputs, DRI officers had launched a operation code-named 'Naya Savera', spread over several parts of the capital.
"Inputs indicated that a gang of two or three persons would be entering Delhi on March 2 and bringing a huge consignment of narcotics, to be delivered to certain people based in Delhi," a source said.
"Since it was not sure as to from where the gang would be entering Delhi, discreet surveillance was maintained at all the entry points of Delhi since the wee hours.
It was ultimately during the late night that vehicles which matched with the description as in the information were spotted near Sarojini Nagar," the source added.
He said the sleuths swooped down on the two v vehicles and after a short chase, the smugglers were nabbed and the contraband retrieved.
"The contraband is high quality Afghan heroin which seems to have found its way to Punjab after crossing the Indo-Pak border.
The two arrested persons belong to Amritsar.
Both have admitted to their role in the smuggling.
Both the vehicles, Tata Indigo and an Alto, bearing Punjab registration numbers have too been seized," another source said.
In November last year, 52 kg of Afghan heroin was seized by the DRI in Delhi while an Afghan national was arrested.
The directorate said in the current financial year, it has been successful in intercepting more than 125 kg of heroin.
Over the years, Afghan heroin has been smuggled from across the Indo-Pak border from where it moves towards Delhi.
Sources said from Delhi it is smuggled out to the developed world where its market value is estimated to be more than Rs 1.5 crore per kg.