The ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Aug 2 provided the details of major drug smuggling cases at Mundra port in Kutch.

The minister of state (MoS), Nityanand Rai, reportedly said that two containers of a consignment of heroin weighing 2988.21 kg were seized in 2021 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and later investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

According to MHA, the investigations found that the drugs were from Afghanistan.

Drugs found at Mundra port in four different raids

Drugs worth ₹21,000 crore approximately were seized in two years. Four major drug raids took place from 2021 to 2023 at the Mundra Port. A total of 3,114 kg of drugs was seized during this period.

On Sept 17, 2021, DRI seized 999 kg of heroin while on Sept 19, 2021, 988 kg of drugs was seized. In 2022, DRI seized 53 kg of cocaine on May 26 and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) seized 75.3 kg of heroin on July 7. 

Steps taken to control drug trafficking through sea route

- Dialogues were organised with neighbouring countries, those which are considered to be the route for the drugs, including  Myanmar, Singapore, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, to resolve issues related to drug trafficking through maritime routes.

- A high-level, dedicated group was created in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in Nov 2022 to analyse drug trafficking through maritime routes. Challenges and solutions were also discussed by the Multi-Agency Maritime Security Group (MAMSG) and NSCS.

- Indian Coast Guard (ICG) were empowered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, to monitor coastal borders to prohibit narcotic drug smuggling at sea.

For more such updates and news on the go, follow us on

Instagram | YouTube | Facebook