CROSS-BORDER DRONE CARTEL BUSTED: ₹25.65 Cr Afghan Heroin & MD Drugs Targeted for Rajkot Intercepted on Ahmedabad Expressway

Ahmedabad and Surat City Crime Branches intercepted a Mahindra XUV at the Ramol toll plaza on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway, seizing ₹25.65 crore worth of narcotics. The joint operation netted three operatives of an inter-state drug syndicate along with 4.531 kilograms of heroin valued at ₹22.65 crore and 2.497 kilograms of mephedrone worth ₹2.99 crore.

International Supply Chain Linked to Afghanistan and Punjab Border

Investigators revealed that the syndicate procured the heroin through cross-border operations. Main accused Tifle Noukhez sourced the consignment from Rehmat Gul in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Owing to heavy security on the land border, the narcotics were dropped via drones across the Punjab frontier. A courier then transported the consignment to Lajpat Nagar in Delhi.

Following this, the accused travelled to Bhawani Mandi in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, where accomplice Kafileahmed Ansari collected 2.497 kilograms of mephedrone from Shakilmohamad. Concealed inside instant drink and dry fruit packets within a custom-built secret compartment of their vehicle, the contraband was en route to Aslam in Rajkot.

Evasion Tactics and Encrypted Communication

The syndicate planned their entry into Gujarat between 9 am and 10 am to blend with heavy commuter traffic, avoiding suspicion typically directed at night-time travel. The network previously employed women and families as decoys for smaller consignments. To bypass law enforcement surveillance, the operatives bypassed standard cellular networks in favour of the encrypted Zangi messaging application.

Criminal Histories of the Arrested Accused

Police interrogation highlighted extensive criminal backgrounds among the detained individuals. Kafileahmed Ansari, aged 59, has faced multiple convictions totalling 45 years across various Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances cases, including an 18-kilogram charas case by NCB Jaipur and an amphetamine case in Gujarat, and was out on bail. Tifle Noukhez, aged 44, has previous arrests tied to major heroin syndicates, including a 330-kilogram seizure by the Delhi Special Cell in 2019. The third suspect, Mohammadimran alias Raja Alvi, specialises in fabricating hidden vehicle compartments for contraband transit.