NEW DELHI: Two persons from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Tamil Nadu have been arrested here for allegedly being part of an international drug cartel, police said today.
The three persons, identified as Sajjat (40), Shafaat Hussain Shah (45) both residents of Baramulla (J&K) and Mohd Abdullah (23) a resident of Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu were arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police on February 8. Police has recovered 11 kg of heroin from them.
“The three persons are operatives of an international drug trafficking module which was busted on December 13 last year with the arrest of Mohd Dharick of Tamil Nadu and recovery of 10 kg of heroin. We have recovered a total of 21 kg heroin worth 75 crore from this gang so far,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav.
During interrogation, Dharick had told police that the heroin had been transported from Afghanistan to Jammu and Kashmir via Pakistan. This drug was being carried to Chennai from where it was to be transported to Sri Lanka and its final destination was Europe via Dubai (UAE).
Based on leads provided by him, a team of Crime Branch raided various places and arrested the trio.
“Sajjat revealed that he is a holder of border pass which is being used by him to enter Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. By using this pass, he went across the LOC and met his acquaintance Mohd Iqbal in Muzaffarabad, POK. Iqbal gave him the consignment of heroin which he brought back to Uri sector in J&K,” said Yadav.
On the directions of Iqbal, Sajjat along with Shafaat Hussain brought this heroin from Uri to Delhi. After reaching Delhi on February 7, he stayed with Shafaat Hussain in his rented house at New Seemapuri, Delhi, he said.
The next day, when Sajjat and Shafaat Hussain Shah were handing over this drug consignment to Mohammad Abdullah near the Main Gate of Tis Hazari Court, they were caught by the team of Narcotics Cell on the basis of a tip off, police said.
“Further interrogation of Mohammad Abdullah revealed that on the instructions of one Saleem of Kuwait through internet telephony, he came to Delhi to collect this contraband. This consignment was supposed to be taken to Tamil Nadu by him from where he was supposed to wait for further instructions from Saleem,” said Yadav.
Saleem of Kuwait is having links in Chennai and Af-Pak. His associates, identified as Nasir, Mujibar Rehman and Abdullah alias Abbas, all belong to Tamil Nadu, and are now on the run. Cooperation has been sought from Tamil Nadu Police to nab them, he said.
Details of investigation are being shared with Intelligence agencies and Narcotics Control Bureau to unravel the wider international chain and to also look into aspects of narco-terrorism in the case, police said. (AGENCIES)
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