Ahmedabad customs department busts drugs smuggling racket
The department is now on the lookout for the key operator of the gang, which used to smuggle drugs to USA and other countries.
The customs department has busted a racket of smuggling of psychotropic drugs out of the country. The department is now on the lookout for the key operator of the gang, which used to smuggle drugs to USA and other countries under the guise of consignment of medicines.
Customs department sources said that a drugs mafia syndicate is active and a businessman from Navrangpura, Abbas Birjadi, is the kingpin of the gang. However, the department says that he is absconding and they have moved the court for a non-bailable warrant against him.
The sources said that Birjadi had played a key role in procurement of orders, had purchased restricted medicines in commercial quantities, packed them for the purpose of exports and subsequently handed them over to a courier company for illegal export.
As per the case, customs department had seized a consignment of 12 bags after they found them to be of a suspicious nature.
During checking they found that three bags contained packets of drugs. When checked with the description of the drugs provided to the department, out of the total 12 packets, drugs of five packets were not as per the description.
The customs department then sent samples to the FSL for testing and it was found that the packets contained psychotropic substances like Hydrocodone, Zolpidem, Lorazepam, Diazepam, Alprazolam and Clonazepam. The department then nabbed Jayanti Patel and Ashok Patel, partners of a courier company. The partners confessed that the consignment was given to them by Birjadi.
During interrogation, Jayanti had in his statement revealed that the parcels were booked by one Abbas. The consignment was booked to be sent to USA, where one Firdosh was to receive the same. Ashok in his statement admitted that they had received money from Abbas for speedy disposal of the packets. Abbas had paid Jayanti a sum of Rs45,000 and Rs63,000 in two instalments to Ashok, admitted Ashok.
On the basis of the Patels’ statements, the customs department had launched further investigations which revealed that Birjadi was the man behind the gang. However, as soon as his name cropped up, he went absconding, sources in the customs department added.