Notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has been sent to four-day police custody by a magistrate’s court in Gujarat in connection with a cross-border drug smuggling case, officials familiar with the matter said.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) took custody of Bishnoi from Punjab police on Wednesday to question him in connection with a drug seizure worth Rs.200 crore from a Pakistani boat off the Gujarat coast in September 2022.
A senior Gujarat ATS official told HT that the ATS team had presented Bishnoi before the judicial magistrate of Kutch’s Naliya town, which sent him to a four-day remand. The ATS had sought a 14-day remand.
“In April this year, the court had granted a 14-day remand for Bishnoi under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act). He is also charged under the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA) and this allows further remand for up to 30 days. Bishnoi is seen as the mastermind behind the September 2022 drug seizure, and we want to question him further,” the ATS official said.
In September last year, the Gujarat police and the Indian Coast Guard in a joint operation seized 38.9 kg heroin worth Rs.200 crore from a Pakistani boat – ‘Al-Tayassa’ near Jakhau harbour in Gujarat’s Kutch district in which six Pakistani nationals were also arrested.
{{/usCountry}}In September last year, the Gujarat police and the Indian Coast Guard in a joint operation seized 38.9 kg heroin worth Rs.200 crore from a Pakistani boat – ‘Al-Tayassa’ near Jakhau harbour in Gujarat’s Kutch district in which six Pakistani nationals were also arrested.
{{/usCountry}}The ATS suspects Bishnoi to have links to the seizure of narcotics.
It was found out that the drugs were intended for transportation to northern states like Delhi and Punjab through road networks.
Two Delhi residents, Sartaj Malik and Jaggi Singh, initially believed to be the recipients of the drugs, were later apprehended in a hotel in Ahmedabad in connection to the case.
Following their questioning, the complicity of Malik’s brother-in-law, Mehraj Rehmani, along with the involvement of two Nigerian nationals, became evident.
Bishnoi’s identity emerged as the mastermind behind the substantial drug transaction. Notably, Nigerian national Anita, also known as Ong’s Thendil, was coordinating on Bisnoi’s behalf for this operation, according to police.
Bishnoi has dozens of cases registered against him. The gangster made headlines for issuing death threats to Bollywood actor Salman Khan while serving time in prison.
Last year, he claimed responsibility for the fatal attack on singer Sidhu Moose Wala in Punjab’s Mansa district.