Bhuj, April 25: A special court in Gujarat’s Kutch district has sentenced six Pakistani nationals to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to smuggle over ₹380 crores worth of heroin through India’s maritime borders.
The sixth additional sessions and special NDPS court in Bhuj found the accused guilty under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The hearing was presided over by Judge V.A. Bhadhu.
The court stated that this operation was part of a conspiracy targeting Indian youth to push them into drug addiction. It also highlighted that this reflects a planned strategy to supply narcotics on a large scale, aimed at weakening the nation.
In its ruling, the court emphasized that the drug problem is not merely an individual issue but a national crisis that directly impacts the country’s internal security.
This case dates back to December 2021 when the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) received information from Deputy SP Bhavesh Rojia about a Pakistani boat named ‘Al Husaini’ carrying a shipment of heroin from Karachi. The consignment was to be delivered approximately 35 nautical miles off the Jakhau coast.
Based on this information, the ATS conducted a joint operation with the Indian Coast Guard between December 18 and 20, 2021. On the morning of December 20, around 2:30 AM, a suspicious boat appeared on radar during surveillance in the Arabian Sea.
The Coast Guard intercepted the boat, which had six individuals on board. All were taken into custody, and during a search, five large bags containing a total of 76,936 grams of heroin were recovered.
The estimated value of the seized heroin is around ₹384.68 crores. Following this, a case was registered under the NDPS Act based on a complaint by ATS Inspector M.C. Nayak. The investigation was carried out by Police Sub-Inspector R.R. Rathod.
The accused were identified as Mohammad Imran Mohammad Tariq Waghera (31), Danish Mohammad Hussain Kachhi Waghera (24), Sagar Mohammad Kachhi Waghera (23), Ismail Ibrahim Badla (45), Mohammad Sajid Mohammad Hussain Yakubla Kungra (24), and Ashfaq Mohammad Ishaq Waghera (26), all residents of Karachi.
During the trial, the prosecution presented 203 documentary evidences and recorded statements from 13 witnesses. Chief District Government Pleader H.B. Jadeja represented the prosecution.
Considering all evidence and arguments, the court convicted all six defendants, sentencing each to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposing a fine of ₹2 lakhs.
Leave a Comment