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.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
On Thursday, senior BJP leaders including chief ministers of the party ruled states offered prayers at temples across the country for the well-being and long life of Prime Minister Modi after his security was breached in Punjab on January 5.
Most of these farmers had earlier stated that they were present at the spot but were not involved in the attack. They were, at that time, charged under bailable sections such as 'rioting' and 'voluntarily causing hurt' and were let off by the SIT officials under Section 41 of the CrPC.
The Congress is witnessing internal bickering on the issue of security breach of the Prime Minister and Congress MP from Punjab Manish Tewari has termed the incidence as most unfortunate and said the matter should be probed by a sitting High Court Judge.
Addressing a gathering in Tanda in Hoshiarpur district after laying the foundation stone of development work, the Chief Minister said there was no threat to the life of the Prime Minister but he cancelled his programme on Wednesday because of the thin presence of people at the BJP's rally.
High drama was witnessed on Thursday after 125 of 179 international passengers, who arrived at Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport Rajasansi, near here, from Italy, in an Air India flight tested positive on arrival. The Covid passengers were asked to quarantine in local hospital as per the guidelines of the government.
