Ahmedabad: The Gujarat police have busted a drug smuggling racket and seized hybrid ganja and other suspected drugs worth around Rs.3.50 crore concealed in items such as baby toys, diapers, books, chocolates, jackets, speakers, and vitamin candy, officials said on Saturday.
A first information report (FIR) has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, said officials, adding that efforts are underway to apprehend five suspects based in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.
The contraband was found in parcels dispatched from the US, the UK, and Canada, police said.
According to officials, the drugs, hidden in couriers originating from these countries, were reportedly ordered through the social media platform Telegram and the dark web, with payments made in cryptocurrency deposited in foreign bank accounts.
A joint operation by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch and Customs Department on Friday led to the segregation of 58 suspicious parcels containing drugs such as hybrid ganja and kratom, according to a statement by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch.
The seized items include 11.6 kg of hybrid ganja, valued at Rs.3.48 crore in international markets, and 60 bottles of liquid kratom extract worth Rs.72,000, officials said/Sniffer dogs were used to identify the suspicious parcels.
{{/usCountry}}The seized items include 11.6 kg of hybrid ganja, valued at Rs.3.48 crore in international markets, and 60 bottles of liquid kratom extract worth Rs.72,000, officials said/Sniffer dogs were used to identify the suspicious parcels.
{{/usCountry}}Gujarat minister of state, home, Harsh Singhvi, praised the Gujarat police. Taking to X, he wrote, “The Gujarat Police remains resolute in its commitment to dismantle drug networks across the state, ensuring a secure environment for all residents. Patting the back of dedicated police personnel whose diligence and efforts have contributed to the success of this operation.
The modus operandi involved peddlers contacting delivery agents to change the delivery address of the parcels after dispatch. Additionally, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch alerted Surat police, resulting in the seizure of drugs worth Rs.28 lakh in a similar operation, said officials.