Delhi: 125-kg heroin, worth ₹860 cr seized from Afghan couple

COPS SAID THE REFUGEE COUPLE, WHO WERE TRAVELLING WITH THEIR 6-YEAR-OLD, TRICKED THE OFFICERS BY CLAIMING THAT THE CHILD NEEDED TO VISIT A DOCTOR; SUSPECT THE DRUGS WERE HEADED TO PUNJAB

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Saturday said they had seized over 125kg of heroin, worth ₹860 crore, allegedly from an Afghan refugee couple in west Delhi’s Khyala.

According to police, the couple had allegedly moved the drugs in a car from a place in north Delhi’s Wazirabad village to Khyala and were waiting for someone to receive it, when they were caught.

Police suspect that the drugs were headed to Punjab.

While they did not have any movement passes to drive around during lockdown, police said the couple, who were travelling with their six-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son, allegedly tricked personnel at police pickets by claiming that their daughter was ill and needed to see a doctor.

When caught, police said the couple, who have been in India since 2012, produced a photocopy of a refugee card issued by United Nations High Commission for Refugees but were unable to show its original.

Second largest seizure in recent years

Speaking about the seizure, possibly the second largest seizure of heroin in recent years, DCP (west) Urvija Goel said police were tipped off about two heroin suppliers coming near Ganda Nala Road in Khyala to deliver a consignment of the contraband on Friday afternoon. Accordingly, a trap was laid and the raiding team caught the accused, identified as Mohammad Shafi (48) and his wife Tareena (36), the DCP said.

“Seven plastic bags containing heroin were found in the car. The total weight of the contraband was 125.84kg. A case was registered and the couple was arrested. They identified themselves as Afghan refugees living in Delhi since 2012,” she said.

Goel said the couple allegedly revealed that the raw materials had come from Afghanistan and were delivered to them by a person at their home on Thursday. The couple allegedly converted them into heroin and was supposed to deliver it to another person in Khyala for transport to Punjab.