Drugs worth over ₹11,311 crore were seized from seaports across the country in 19 different drugs busts over the past five years, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Responding to a question by Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on whether there has been an increase in drug seizures at ports during the last five years, minister of state for home Nityanand Rai submitted a written reply on the seizures.
The largest quantity and value of the smuggled drug was reported at the Adani Port, SEZ Mundra in Gujarat on September 19, 2021, when central agencies recovered 2,988kg heroin valued at ₹5,976 crore. This second recovery, according to the minister’s report, was of 303 kg cocaine worth ₹1,515 crore, seized in VOC port, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu on April 20, 2021.
“The seizures at major ports is the result of the effective measures taken in the field of controlling drug trafficking and highlight the successful coordination between State and Central Law Enforcement Agencies, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Indian Security Forces such as the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy,” Rai said.
Listing the measures adopted to prevent smuggling, he said: “Constant vigil is being kept at ports and waterways by multiple Central and State agencies including Customs, DRI, NCB, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, etc across the country to prevent illicit transport of narcotics in India. NCB coordinates with agencies like Navy, Coast Guard & Marine Police to conduct joint operations to control drug trafficking.”
In his reply, minister Rai also said that the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in coordination with sister agencies has prepared an SOP on Maritime Security Coordination for anti-smuggling operations in Maritime Zones of India. “This SOP is aimed to enhance inter-agency, inter- department and inter-ministerial coordination in planning anti-smuggling operations with respect to contraband goods, including NDPS and sensitive cargo,” he said.
Of the 19 cases, eight were reported from Maharashtra — JNPT, Navi Mumbai and CFS Raigarh. Another eight cases were reported from Gujarat, Adani Port, CFS Mundra, Pipavpav port and CFS Gandhidham; two were reported West Bengal at the state’s from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port; and one at Tamil Nadu’s VOC Port, Tuticorin.
In the last two years, NCB along with other agencies, including Coast Guard, have busted more than seven cases of drugs that were being brought to India via marine channels. Cases busted in the last two years have showed that Karachi-based gangster Haji Salim, is the kingpin of the biggest cartel that sends drugs to India and the subcontinent via the Arabian sea. Drugs in bulk are located from different ports along the Pakistan-Iran port and send in motherships, which then hand over the contraband to smaller ships at the international border.