200 kg heroin worth Rs 1,000 cr seized over 6 yrs burnt to ashes by Delhi Customs dept

Deputy commissioner customs, Hemant Rohilla said the last time they had disposed of heroin was in January 2019, when 123kg of the narcotic was incinerated.

Delhi customs officials on Friday disposed more than 200 kilograms of heroin, seized from the National Capital Region (NCR) over six years, between 2004 and 2010. Officers claimed that the narcotics, burnt at an incinerator in west Delhi’s Nilothi, was worth around Rs1,000 crore.

Dinesh Meena, additional commissioner, customs, said they disposed of 207.109kg heroin that the department had seized in 15 cases in the six-year period.(HT Photo)

Dinesh Meena, additional commissioner, customs, said they disposed of 207.109kg heroin that the department had seized in 15 cases in the six-year period. He said it is the first time such a large quantity of heroin has been destroyed by Delhi customs.

Meena said at least 19 people were arrested in these cases, seven of them foreigners. “While one of the arrested seven was from Indonesia, the rest were from countries in Africa. Of the others, seven were from Punjab, two from Delhi-NCR, and one each from Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai and Rajasthan,” he said.

The additional commissioner said the destruction of heroin was carried out as per procedure laid down and under the supervision of principal commissioner of customs, Delhi preventive commissionerate.

“The process was completed at a centralised bio-medical waste disposal facility in Nilothi. The destruction of drugs was carried out as per the norm laid by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Bio-Medical Waste Rules 2016, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and ministry of forests,” he said.

Meena said the value of the destroyed drugs is approximately Rs 1,000 crore in the international market.

An officer also said narcotics cannot be disposed of in the open and has to be burnt in closed incinerators. (HT Photo )

Deputy commissioner customs, Hemant Rohilla said the last time they had disposed of heroin was in January 2019, when 123kg of the narcotic was incinerated.

“After their seizures in different cases, these packets were securely locked at godowns of the Central Warehousing Corporation and at New Customs House at the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport. To ensure that these packets that are sealed in front of court, and are not leaked into the markets, they are kept under heavy security around-the-clock ,” he said.

The officer also said narcotics cannot be disposed of in the open and has to be burnt in closed incinerators. He said the drugs are destroyed at temperatures upwards of 800 degrees Celsius.

Explaining the trend of heroin smuggling in India, Rohilla said, most of the seized heroin was brought in from the ‘Golden Crescent’. “This is the name given to the Asia’s two main areas of illegal narcotics production. The crescent connects three countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. In most cases, the accused were found to have links with their handlers in these three countries. The people caught are mostly mere handlers who are offered petty amounts to deliver the consignment without getting caught,” the officer said.