500 kg heroin smuggling by Pak through Gujarat, NIA files supplementary chargesheet
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Mar, 2022 01:37 PM
New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said it has filed a supplementary chargesheet against an accused in connection with a 500-kg heroin smuggling case by people based in Dubai. The drug was smuggled through Pakistan-India sea route.
Earlier, 10 accused persons have been chargesheeted in the case. The chargesheet was filed before a Special Court in Ahmedabad.
The case was initially registered by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2018.
The case pertains to a criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused based in Dubai and Pakistan for smuggling and distribution of 500 kg of illegal narcotic heroin from Pakistan to Gujarat through the sea route.
This heroin was brought by Pakistani nationals in a Pakistani fishing vessel and was delivered in the Indian territorial waters near Jakhau Port in Kutch.
The NIA had re-registered the case on July 2, 2020.
The accused Shahid Kasam Surma was a close associate of earlier accused persons -- Arshad Razak Sota and Rafik Adam Sumra -- who have been absconding since committing the crime.
Surma had stored, transported and delivered 495 kg of the 500 kg of drugs received from Pakistan to Amritsar, Punjab, through his associates.
A red corner notice was issued against him by the Interpol. He was later deported from Dubai and arrested in this case.
First Sikh billionaire Bob Dhillon, first Sikh CJI Justice JS Khehar, Sikh Navy chief Karambir S and rice revolutionist Dr Gurdev Khush are some of the prominent names that appear in the list of Sikhs and Guru Nanak Naam Leva personalities who are to receive an award from the state government during a function to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
A five-judge Bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, has concluded hearing in the case and a verdict is expected by November 17.
