Gujarat ATS, DRI Bust Drug Racket, Seize Heroin Worth Rs 198 Cr From Scrap Container Near Kolkata Port

A joint team comprising officials from ATS and DRI raided the port after receiving a specific tip-off and seized 39.5 kilograms of heroin.

As many as 72 packets of white powder were recovered from 12 gear boxes. (Representative Image/Getty)

A joint team of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) foiled yet another attempt to smuggle heroin worth Rs 197.82 crore after it raided a Container Freight Station near Kolkata port in West Bengal a few days ago and zeroed in on a container which had arrived there from Dubai in February this year. 

According to reports, a joint team comprising officials from ATS and DRI raided the port after receiving a specific tip-off and seized 39.5 kilograms of heroin. "The contraband was found concealed inside 12 gear boxes which were part of 7,220 kilograms of metal scrap sent from Jebel Ali Port in Dubai in a shipping container and it had reached Kolkata port in February," news agency PTI quoted Gujarat Director General of Police Ashish Bhatia in Gandhinagar as saying.

"Based on a specific tip-off received by Gujarat ATS, a joint team comprising officials from ATS and DRI raided a Container Freight Station near Kolkata port a few days ago and zeroed in on a container which had arrived there in February from Dubai," Bhatia said.

Gujarat ATS & DRI Ahmedabad zonal unit seized 39.565 kg of heroin, worth Rs 197.825 cr, from Kolkata's Century Freight Station from a container that was lying there for 6-7 months. Out of 36 gearboxes, 12 had 72 packets of heroin hidden. DRI is further investigating the matter. pic.twitter.com/w4BPUbngZ0

— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2022

As many as 72 packets of white powder were recovered from 12 gear boxes which were marked with white ink outside. The DGP also said that there were 36 gear boxes in total that had arrived from Dubai. 

"A forensic analysis confirmed that the packets contained 39.5 kg of heroin worth Rs 197.82 crore in the international market. The probe is still on as officials have decided to open remaining gear boxes as well. Primary probe has revealed the container was meant to be re-exported to some other country from Kolkata," the Bhatia informed. 

Several such drug smuggling rackets have been busted by Gujarat ATS and DRI this year. In July, the department conducted a raid at a container near the Mundra port in Kutch district to recover 75.3 kg of heroin estimated to be worth over Rs 376.5 crore. Officials had informed that the contraband was concealed inside fabric rolls and had been sent from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for further distribution in Punjab. 

Similar incidents were also reported in the month of April and May when the DRI sleuths seized 205.6 kg heroin worth Rs 1,439 crore from a container near the Kandla port in Kutch and 56 kg of cocaine worth Rs 500 crore from a container near the Mundra port.

(With inputs from PTI.)