According to officials familiar with the matter, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has drafted a charge sheet in the case of 2,500 kg of methamphetamine seized from a ship in the Indian Ocean. The charge sheet details how a drug cartel operating in Pakistan is smuggling drugs into India through maritime routes. Haji Salim, a fugitive based in Pakistan, has been identified as the main culprit in this operation. The statement of a Pakistan national named Zubair Derakshshandeh, who was arrested along with the drugs consignment, has been attached to the charge sheet.

The charge sheet reveals that Haji Salim is in charge of a drug cartel with hundreds of people working under him. These individuals operate from the Makran coast near the Iran-Pakistan border. Some of them act as carriers and are paid amounts ranging from ₹3 to ₹5 lakhs, depending on the duration they spend at sea. Each trip, from the point of origin to the handover of drugs to smaller ships, lasts between 10 to 21 days, as reported by the officials who requested not to be named. Zubair, a resident of Balochistan in Pakistan, was promised around ₹3 lakhs for his involvement in the operation.

The NCB's investigation has revealed that couriers like Zubair stay aboard the mother ship at a specified location in the ocean for days and then transfer the drugs to different boats. These couriers are paid to facilitate the transportation of drugs from the mother ship to smaller vessels, which further distribute them to different countries. In this particular case, the drugs were destined for India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

Interestingly, the probe also discovered that another courier was instructed to bring the drugs back to India from Sri Lanka. This method was employed to avoid transporting drugs in bulk, but the NCB's operation foiled the transfer before it could happen. All these details have been included in the charge sheet.

Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the cartel under Haji Salim was responsible for two earlier drug smuggling cases off the Gujarat coast in February 2022 and another one off the Kerala coast in October 2022. The same modus operandi was used in these cases as well. The officials stated that there are several individuals similar to Zubair who have been working for Haji Salim, forming a vast network. Zubair himself had been associated with Salim for over four years.

On May 13, in a joint operation with the Indian Navy, the NCB made the largest seizure of methamphetamine (2,500 kg) from a mother ship in the Indian Ocean near the Kerala coast. The mother ship was carrying a significant amount of narcotics intended for distribution to smaller boats along its route.

The NCB's investigation uncovered a common link connecting all three drug smuggling cases, as they noticed the Salim cartel's usage of jute bags from a rice company based in Pakistan.

In January 2022, the NCB initiated "Operation Samudragupt," aiming to intercept contraband brought into India through maritime routes. The agency has been collaborating with the intelligence wing of the Indian Navy, the Department of revenue intelligence, and the police forces of coastal states as part of this operation.

Image source: HT