The seized contraband had originated from Pakistan and was smuggled into Gujarat (Representational)
A 44-year-old man was arrested in Devbhumi Dwarka district of Gujarat for the alleged possession of heroin and methamphetamine worth Rs 88.25 crore, suspected to be originated from Pakistan and smuggled through the sea, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.
The arrested man, identified as Sajjad Ghosi, hails from the Thane district in neighbouring Maharashtra. He claimed that he had come to Khambhalia to take the consignment of drugs from two brothers.
Following the arrest of Ghosi with 17.65 kg of drugs- heroin and methamphetamine- on Tuesday, the police on Wednesday arrested the two brothers from Salaya town in the Devbhmi Dwarka district and seized 47 packets suspected to be containing drugs, said Sandeep Singh, senior police officer of Rajkot range.
"Based on a tip-off, the police arrested Sajjad Ghosi from a guest house in Khambhalia town on Tuesday. We recovered 19 packets from his bags, which contained 11.483 kg of heroin and 6.168 kg of methamphetamine. Ghosi claimed that he had received the drugs from the Kara brothers of Salaya," Mr Singh said.
Ghosi told police that he had taken the delivery of 17.65 kg of the contraband from Salim Kara and Ali Kara and was planning to return to Thane, he said.
"We then raided Kara brothers' house and seized 47 similar packets. We are yet to ascertain the contents of these packets. Ghosi had gone to jail in a murder case in the past and Salim Kara has been arrested in the past in NDPS, fake currency and Arms Act cases," Mr Singh said.
Ghosi, a vegetable vendor from Mumbra area of Thane, had come to Khambhalia three days back to take the delivery of drugs, he said.
While a detailed probe is still underway, the preliminary investigations have revealed that the seized contraband had originated from Pakistan and was smuggled into Gujarat via the sea route by the Kara brothers, the DIG added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)