The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized more than 25 kg of heroin from a container during a raid at Navi Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva Port (Jawaharlal Nehru Port). The Mumbai Zonal Unit of DRI, which carried out the raid, also arrested a businessman named Jayesh Sanghvi in connection with the seizure of heroin which is worth Rs 125 crore in the international market.
The 62 years old businessman was arrested on Wednesday after a probe confirmed that the container that had arrived from Iran at Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai was carrying a consignment of narcotics also. Sanghvi has booked under various sections of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The DRI produced the accused before the court where the court sent him to DRI custody till October 11 for questioning. DRI had sought his custody as the agency doubts that Sanghvi is part of a drug cartel and he might have smuggled similar consignment in the past also.
On October 4, on the basis of intelligence inputs, the DRI had detained the container which was set to be carrying a consignment of groundnut oil. Investigation revealed that a consignment of narcotics was concealed in the container. DRI officials said they found a packet containing white powder weighing around 25.6kg. it was kept between the groundnut oil and other items in the container.
Investigation revealed that the container was imported by a businessman Sandeep Thakkar of Vaibhav Enterprises having its office at Masjid Bunder. On being questioned he told DRI that Sanghvi had offered him Rs 10,000 per consignment to import goods from Iran on his firm’s IEC. On being further questioned the businessman said that due to old relationships he professionally trusted Sanghvi.
The DRI last month had seized 2,988.21 kgs of heroin worth Rs 9,000 crore from the Mundra Port in Gujarat. As per reports, the heroin consignment had originated from Afghanistan and it was dispatched as a consignment of semi-processed talc stones. The consignment had arrived from Bandar Abbas Port, Iran. The National Investigation Agency has taken over the investigation. Since Munda port is located in BJP ruled Gujarat and is managed by the Adani group, the Congress and the liberal media launched a vilification campaign against the Adani group and the BJP.
In July this year, 293 kgs of heroin was seized from Mumbai port by DRI. One Prabhit Singh, owner of Sandhu Exports Punjab, was arrested in this connection.
