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‘Dad brothers’ sent drugs in 5 batches: NIA after 3 more arrests
The Dad brothers, Hussain and Hasan Dad, smuggled multiple consignments of heroin concealed in apparently innocuous consignments of goods such as semi-processed talc stones and bituminous coal imported into India
NEW DELHI: Investigations into last year’s 3,000 kg drug bust at Mundra port have revealed that five consignments of heroin were sent between November 2020 and September 2021 through different ports by Kandahar-based masterminds, identified as “the Dad brothers” - Hussain and Hasan Dad, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said.
The central agency made the claim on Thursday, a day after it arrested three more persons including an Afghan national, Rah Matullah from Delhi in the case.
As first reported by HT, the ₹21,000 crore worth haul was intercepted by the Directorate of Revenue and Intelligence (DRI) on September 13, 2021, at Mundra port.
NIA has been investigating the larger international conspiracy behind the drugs smuggled into the country that were seized in Mundra Port, the largest drugs seizure in the country. The agency has already filed two charge sheets against 19 people including several Afghan nationals.
The Dad brothers, who run a company Hasan Hussain Ltd in Kandahar, had used an Indian company Aashi Trading Company to send 2,988.21 kg heroin hidden in a talc shipment.
“The duo have smuggled multiple consignments of heroin concealed in apparently innocuous consignments of goods such as semi-processed talc stones and bituminous coal imported into India. These consignments were imported through different Indian ports including Mundra (Gujarat) and Kolkata port and further moved to New Delhi via trucks,” an NIA spokesperson said Thursday.
It said a widespread network of drug traffickers, international facilitators/conduits, importers using fake/shell companies, distributors and local wholesalers and retailers, who are operating a huge international drug smuggling racket from many countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and the UAE was working in the syndicate.
“Investigations conducted so far have revealed that five consignments of heroin-laden goods were imported into India between November 2020 and September 2021. Three such consignments of semi-processed talc stones ultimately reached a warehouse in Neb Sarai, Delhi, which was rented by the absconding accused, Najibullah Khalid in the name of another Afghan national Noorzahi Abdul Salam. The heroin was segregated from the concealing goods in this warehouse by Afghan experts and then sent for distribution in the market through a network of drug suppliers and peddlers,” the spokesperson said.
“The concealing material was removed to another warehouse rented out by Shaheen alias Rock, an Afghan national and key associate of Najibullah, through arrested accused Jasbir Singh and Ishwinder Singh,” the NIA said.
The agency also alleged that Ishwinder Singh, a known drug distributor, was in direct touch with Javed, an Afghanistan-based accused and a key aide of Hassan Dad. “On directions of Javed, Ishwinder Singh, in connivance with Jasbir Singh fabricated false documents and rented a warehouse at Village Hamidpur in Delhi where the semi-processed talc was shifted from the Neb Sarai warehouse for further disposal”.
Rah Matullah, arrested on Wednesday, was especially inducted into India around 8-10 months ago for handling the drug trade network run by Hasan Dad and Hussain Dad, it said.
