46-year-old man, wife and associate held for trafficking heroin from UP to Delhi

The couple allegedly transported the contraband in their taxi, using the guise of family travel to avoid police while crossing the Bhopura border, which connects northeast Delhi and Ghaziabad in UP.

A 46-year-old man, his wife and associate were arrested by the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) of Delhi Police last week for allegedly trafficking heroin into Delhi from Uttar Pradesh (UP) and selling it in various parts of the city, said officials on Wednesday.

Nearly 1.504 kg of heroin worth around ₹7.5 crore in international market was recovered from the couple, police said.

Police identified the accused as Arif Khan, who used to work as a taxi driver; his wife Shikha Ali, 30, and their associate Jumman, 31, who used to receive heroin from the couple.

Nearly 1.504 kg of heroin worth around ₹7.5 crore in international market was recovered from the couple and the receiver, said deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav. The couple allegedly transported the contraband in their taxi, using the guise of family travel to avoid police while crossing the Bhopura border late at night, which connects northeast Delhi and Ghaziabad in UP.

DCP Yadav said that ANTF officers had recently received information that a drug peddler named Arif Khan had been trafficking large quantities of heroin into Delhi from Bareilly and delivering it in Loni, Ghaziabad and various parts of Delhi.

“It came to light that Khan used his Maruti Wagon R taxi for trafficking heroin. Police analysed the route he took and his entry timings. Accordingly, a plan to conduct a raid near Bhopura border on February 10 was formed. The team spotted the taxi and waylaid it using two of their four-wheelers. Khan was driving the taxi and his wife was in the passenger’s seat. They were searched and 1.310 kg of heroin were recovered from their possession,” said Yadav.

Police said, a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered on February 10 and the couple was arrested. During interrogation, it was revealed that after collecting heroin from a Bareilly-based supplier named Rahil, Khan delivered it to his receivers in Ghaziabad and Delhi. One of his receivers was identified as Jumman, a resident of Delhi’s Bhalswa Dairy, who had taken a consignment of 500 grams of heroin from him on February 7.

“Further probe led to Jumman’s arrest from his house from where 194 grams of heroin were also seized,” added the DCP.