Navi Mumbai: Heroin worth Rs 362.59 crore found in unclaimed container at Nhava Sheva Port

BK Singh, Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police with the heroin that was seized in Panvel

Navi Mumbai Police, with the help of Punjab Police, have seized heroin weighing 72.518 kg worth Rs 362.59 crores in international market from an unclaimed shipping container. The consignment was concealed in the frame of the freight container which was lying unclaimed for last seven months. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the exporter and importer of the consignment. No arrests have been made so far.

The container had arrived at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Nhava Seva, from Dubai. The input was shared to Navi Mumbai Police on Thursday afternoon, after which DCP (crime) Suresh Mengde formed a team and rushed to JNPT. "The information was of a container with registration number, the container had arrived seven months ago hence the team had to go through all the records to zero in on the suspicious container. Finally, we found that it's been parked at premises of Navkar Logistics, Container Freight Station (CFS)," DCP Mengde said.

After frantic search for five hours, team zeroed in on the container, when the doors of the container were opened, marble tiles were found inside it. The police spent more time in searching the premises, but didn't find any contrabands. The search party was on the verge of giving up when some deformity was observed in the metal door frame of the container. This led to suspicion that contraband may be hidden in the cavity.

"When I was knocking on the containers doors, it was found solid, normally they are hollow, it was quite unusual," told DCP Mengde. "I asked my men to check the doors, gas cutters were brought to open it and we found the first packet of the contraband. Whole frame of the container was filled with 168 such packets," he added.

Also Read: Mumbai Police seize drugs worth over Rs 4.82 crore in 7 days, 247 people booked for consumption

An examination of contents of the packets by a Forensic Science Lab team and NDPS detection kit of the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) led to the recovery of heroin weighing 72.518 kg and valued at Rs 362.59 crore in the international market.

"During primary investigation, it was revealed that the container in question had come from Dubai on December 27, 2021 and since then lying in Navkar Logistics," told Bipin Kumar Singh, commissioner, Navi Mumbai. "The way the consignment was concealed in the doors and frame, we suspect it's been done in some industry," he added. "We have some leads about who ordered it and where it was going, we are happy that, hundreds of youngsters have been saved from getting this addiction," Singh said.

This was one of the major drug hauls in Navi Mumbai in recent times and comes after multiple seizures of contraband at Gujarat's Mundra port. PSI Komal Preet Singh of the Punjab Police's State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) said, "As a joint operation we have managed to catch big haul of the drugs within 2 days. Though the information was specific, it was mammoth task to locate and recover the drug but we managed to get it."

Were they waiting for auction?

Containers which lies unclaimed in the CFS gets auctioned by the Customs Department. The value of the container are evaluated with the material present inside. Cops suspect that importers were waiting for auction of this container which had only marbles worth few lakhs, but once they purchase container, they could have easily remove the drug.

SIT for investigation

Navi Mumbai Police commissioner Bipin Kumar Singh has formed a SIT to probe the matter further. "We want to go to the depth of the matter. The owner, importer all will be called for inquiry. For this a team comprising of 8 officer and 10 constable has been formed," he said. An offence regarding the seizure has been registered in Panvel Taluka Police station.