Delhi-Gujarat drug haul: Cops say narcotics brought from South America, ‘purified’ in Ankleshwar

PTI, Oct 15, 2024, 8:13 AM IST

New Delhi: Amid a series of drug busts in Delhi and Gujarat, police here on Monday said that around 1,300 kg of narcotics was brought from countries in South America to a pharmaceutical company in Gujarat for purification before being supplied to the national capital.

According to officials, 1,289 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana, worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, have been recovered from Delhi and Gujarat in past weeks.

The latest haul came on Sunday when at least 518 kilograms of cocaineworth around Rs 5000 crore seized from Gujarat’s Ankleshwar in a joint operation by Delhi and Gujarat Police. Five people were arrested in connection with the seizure.

The officials said the new seizure was connected to the recovery of 700 kilograms of cocaine in Delhi.

A day after the latest recovery of cocaine from Avkar Drugs Limited Company in Gujarat’s Ankleshwar, Delhi Police on Monday said the consignment was refined there by mixing chemical before being sent to Delhi.

Of the five who were arrested from Gujarat, three — Vijay Bhesaniya, Ashwani Ramani and Brijesh Kothiya — are co-owners of Avkar Drugs Limited Company.

Among the two others, Mayur Desale was looking after the production work in the company, while Amit played a key role of mediating between the main suppliers and the owners of the pharmaceutical company, officials said.

The five accused were produced before a court in Ankleshwar on Monday and the Special Cell got their transit remand to bring them to Delhi for further interrogations, a senior police officer said.

The officer said that more than 700 kg of cocaine seized in Delhi within two weeks was “fine” quality drug brought from the same company in Ankleshwar.

“So far, investigations have revealed that around 1,300 kg of drugs was brought to Ankleshwar from South American countries for purification in the pharmaceutical company and further supply to Delhi. Over 700 kg was already brought while other 518 was yet to come,” said an officer, who is privy to the investigation.

PTI earlier reported that the suppliers were using Delhi as a transit point for supply of the drugs to other parts of the country.

The three owners of the company were promised to be paid in crores for purifying and further supplying the drugs to other parts of the country, the officer said.

Raids are being conducted in several parts of Delhi and Gujarat, he added.

The officer further said Amit, who is a resident of Vadodra, has suspected links with United Kingdom-based handlers, who were operating on direction of Virender Basoya alias Veeru, who is a kingpin of the international syndicate operated from Dubai.

The exact route of the drugs is yet to be ascertained and a police team is working on it, he said.

On October 2, the Special Cell seized more than 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana estimated to be worth Rs 5,620 crore from a godown in south Delhi’s Mahipalpur and arrested four people. Two others were subsequently apprehended from Amritsar and Chennai.

Then in the second big drugs haul in a week, the Special Cell seized 208 kg of cocaine worth Rs 2,080 crore from a rented shop in west Delhi on October 9.

The officer said that with the new seizure, 1,289 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana, worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, have been recovered from Delhi and Gujarat so far. The number of arrests in this connection has risen to 12.