Mundra Adani Port Drug Haul Case: NIA Conducts Searches At Multiple Locations

The NIA said in a statement said the “searches were conducted in Chennai, Coimbatore and Vijaywada at the premises of the accused/suspects”.

NIA (File Pic)

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted searches at multiple locations in connection with its probe into the drug haul at Gujarat’s Mundra Adani Port.

The NIA said in a statement said the “searches were conducted in Chennai, Coimbatore and Vijaywada at the premises of the accused/suspects”.

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“During the searches, various incriminating documents, articles and other items have been seized,” the NIA added.

The case, relating to the seizure of 2,988.21 kg of heroin by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Gujarat’s Mundra Port on September 16, was transferred to the NIA on October 6.

The heroin found in two containers, which came from Afghanistan via Iran’s Bandar Abbas Port, were declared to be carrying “semi-processed talc stones”.

A case in the matter was registered following an order from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Besides sections of the IPC and the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the NIA has also invoked Section 17 (Punishment for Raising Funds for Terrorist Act) and Section 18 (Punishment for Conspiracy to Commit Terror Acts) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the NIA said.

The FIR by the NIA named Machavaram Sudhakaran, Durga P V Govindaraju and Rajkumar P as accused besides others.

The NIA in a statement said “pursuant to registration of the case, requisite actions as per law for expeditious investigation of the case have been initiated”.

Chennai-based couple Sudhakaran and Govindaraju own the company, which was shipping the contraband.

Govindaraju is the proprietor of the firm M/s Aashi Trading Company, which is registered in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada.

The firm was importing the talc from a company called M/s Hasan Husain Ltd. Rajkumar from Coimbatore, who worked in Iran and was allegedly “coordinating with foreign suppliers”.

At least nine people, including four Afghans and a Uzbek national, have so far been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in connection with this case.

A special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court had earlier in September directed the DRI to probe if the “Mundra Adani Port, its management and its authority gained any benefits” from the consignment’s import.