A day after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 2,988.21 kg heroin worth Rs 15,000 crore from two containers at the Mundra port in Gujarat’s Kutch district and subsequently arrested a couple that runs an import firm from Chennai, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala launched a scathing attack on the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The Modi administration aim is clear — sell off the country’s property, disrupt business of shopkeepers and small businesseses, give whatever is left to a few small companies and push the youth into fire of drugs,” Surjewala claimed.
“These two sensation revelations have made it crystal clear that the Modi government has made “an arrangement” to sell the future of this country,” Surjewala alleged. “This is their eat, feed and loot model.”
दो सनसनीखेज खुलासों ने साफ कर दिया है कि मोदी सरकार ने देश के भविष्य को बेचने की “सुपारी” ले रखी है।
यही इनका “खाएंगे, खिलाएंगे और लुटाएंगे” मॉडल है 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/AqZYBN7bE1
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 22, 2021
Surjewala said Adani Mundra Port had witnessed the world’s biggest drug bust to date and further alleged that same company whose drugs were seized imported 25,000 kg of the same types of drugs worth Rs 1.75 lakh crores in June 2021 through the Adani port.
Also read: Eight biggest drug busts in the world
Noting that according to the media reports Ashish Traders whose import-export licence was allegedly used for the trade received Rs 10 lakh as commission. “Who is the drugs cartel? Why is the drug cartel prospering right under the nose of Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah?” he asked.
“Is this not pushing India’s youth into the menace of drugs? Where are those drugs now? Is it not a breach of national security as these came from and are connected to the Taliban and Afghanistan. Why has Adani Mundra port not been investigated?” he asked.
The Congress leader alleged that the Narcotics Control Bureau, the DRI, Enforcement Directorate, CBI, Intelligence Bureau, Home Ministry and everybody else has been “sleeping”.
The Adani Group on Tuesday said in a statement that it has no policing authority of ports.
Media statement on the malicious social media campaign against the Adani Group on the seizure of illegal drugs at Mundra Port. pic.twitter.com/z4gutdzKyK
— Adani Group (@AdaniOnline) September 21, 2021
“The law empowers the government of India’s competent authorities such as the Customs and the DRI to open, examine and seize unlawful cargo. No port operator across the country can examine a container. Their role is limited to running the port. We sincerely hope that this statement will put to rest the motivated, malicious and false propaganda being run on social media against the Adani Group. APSEZ is a port operator providing services to shipping lines, We have no policing authority over the containers or the millions of tonnes of cargo that pass through the terminals in Mundra or any of our ports”, said a spokesperson of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd (APSEZ).”
After getting credible information that the consignment is containing drugs from Afghanistan, DRI officers seized two containers and sent samples for examination a few days back. A forensic analysis of the seized substance confirmed the presence of heroin, said official sources.
The consignment was imported by a trading company registered in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh. It was declared as semi-processed talc stones originating from Afghanistan and shipped from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran to Mundra Port in Gujarat, they said.
“A total of 2988.21 kg of heroin, including 1999.57 kg heroin from one container and 988.64 kg heroin from the second container, was seized under the provisions of the NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act,” the sources said.
They said searches were conducted in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, Gandhidham and Mandvi in Gujarat, following which two persons were arrested.
The investigation conducted so far has revealed the involvement of some Afghan nationals who are under investigation, the sources said.
Upon learning that the importer firm M/S Aashi Trading Company is run by M Sudhakar and his wife Durga Vaishali, the DRI arrested the couple from Chennai a few days back and brought them to Bhuj in Kutch.
On Monday, the duo was produced before a special court for NDPS cases in Bhuj town.
While seeking the remand of the arrested couple, special public prosecutor Kalpesh Goswami told the court that the DRI seized 2,988 kg of heroin which was declared as talc stones by the firm.
Special judge CM Pawar granted 10-day custody of the couple to the DRI.
With inputs from PTI