Ahmedabad Police seize meth worth ₹14 cr being smuggled inside biscuit boxes

Ahmedabad Police have arrested a 48-year-old Mumbai resident and seized 7.084 kg of methamphetamine valued at ₹14.16 crore during a narcotics operation in Naroda.

The accused, identified as Mohammed Sajid Mohammed Usman Sheikh, a casual labourer residing in Andheri West and Jogeshwari West in Mumbai, was apprehended near the Getco Power Station opposite a garnala near Nana Chiloda Circle on Monday evening. 

Police said the contraband was allegedly being transported in a blue travel bag and concealed inside several branded biscuit boxes.

The operation was launched after the police surveillance squad received specific intelligence that a man matching the accused's description would be carrying narcotic substances in the area.

A raiding team, accompanied by panch witnesses and surveillance personnel, conducted a watch operation near the Getco Power Station. During the surveillance, officers intercepted a suspect carrying a blue travel bag.

The police searched the accused and his belongings. While no contraband was found on his person, officers discovered several biscuit cartons inside the travel bag containing white crystalline powder and chunk-like substances.

The police subsequently called a mobile forensic team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Preliminary examination using an IDENTA Methamphetamine Confirmation Kit reportedly indicated that the substance was methamphetamine.

Investigators said the narcotic substance had been concealed inside multiple biscuit boxes, including packages bearing labels of Punjabi Atta Biscuits, Osmania Biscuits, Karachi Bakery Cashew Biscuits and Sunfeast Dark Fantasy Choco Fills.

Police recorded the total weight at 7,084 grams. Based on the valuation adopted by investigators, the contraband was estimated to be worth ₹14.16 crore.

Apart from the narcotics, police also seized a Vivo mobile phone, cash amounting to ₹9,820, an Aadhaar card and the travel bag used to transport the substance. The total value of seized property has been estimated at ₹14.16 crore.

During preliminary questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators that he had travelled from Mumbai to Jaipur, where he received the travel bag from an unidentified individual near Sindhi Camp Bus Station. He further claimed that he was acting on the instructions of a person described as a Nigerian national, whose mobile number has been recorded by the police, and that he had been promised ₹10,000 for transporting the bag.

Police suspect the case may be linked to a larger interstate drug trafficking network. The alleged involvement of foreign nationals and unidentified associates is being investigated.

An FIR has been registered under Sections of the NDPS Act. Police said efforts are underway to identify and trace other persons involved in the supply chain, including the individual who allegedly handed over the consignment in Jaipur.