COUPLE HELD IN AFGHAN HEROIN SEIZURE CASE GOT ₹10-12L: PROBE

NEW DELHI: Initial investigations into the seizure of the largest ever single cache of Afghan heroin from Mundra port last week have so far revealed that a Chennai couple whose import firm received the drugs in the garb of talc powder received a commission of ₹10-12 lakh for the job, officials familiar with the probe said on Tuesday.

The couple – Govindaraju Durga Purna Vaishali and her husband Machavaram Sudhakar – are being interrogated about the “bigger players” behind smuggling of such a huge consignment. They were arrested last week after 3,000kg highquality heroin worth ₹21,000 crore in the international market was seized by the Directorate of Revenue and Intelligence (DRI) from two containers shipped from Kandahar and imported via Iran’s Bandar Abbas port by their Vijaywada-registered firm – Aashi Trading Company.

An official dealing with narcoterrorism said they have information that Vaishali and Sudhakar were taking instructions from some people based in Afghanistan and Iran. “Their role in smuggling drugs previously in the garb of imports is being investigated but they appear to be small players as their commission was very low,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has jumped to probe a money laundering angle in the recovery as it wants to unearth the international syndicate behind it and seize their assets. “With possible Talibanpakistan-afghanistan link emerging in the high-quality heroin consignment smuggled through a shell company, it is a fit case to be probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and to seize the assets of conspirators,” said an ED officer, asking not to be named. HT reported about the largest-ever heroin consignment seizure on Monday.

The Congress tried to corner the government and Adani Group, which runs the Mundra port in Gujarat, over the seizure. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said: “The drugs sent from Afghanistan to India via Iran port were found on Mundra port of Gujarat. It is a serious issue for India when you have a look at its price and amount.”