Afghan national held for supplying heroin in NCR

1.1 kg of drug worth ₹2 crore recovered from rented Lajpat Nagar home

A 40-year-old Afghan national, accused of supplying drugs in the National Capital Region (NCR), has been arrested and 1.1 kg of heroin worth ₹2 crore recovered from his possession, the police said on Tuesday.

Qari Mohd Hanif alias Samadi, a resident of Kabul, was arrested from Mehrauli on October 27 following a tip-off. He had rented an accommodation in Lajpat Nagar.

“We received information that Mr. Hanif was supplying heroin in NCR and put him under surveillance. We received a tip-off regarding his arrival near Madhi Masjid on October 27. He was apprehended with 525 gm of heroin,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) P.S. Kushwah.

Mr. Hanif allegedly revealed during interrogation that he had visited India five times since May 2017 and carried heroin-filled pellets for delivery. His rented accommodation in Lajpat Nagar was raided and the police recovered 575 gm of heroin.

The accused allegedly told the police that he is a law graduate and has six children. “His father was in the Afghanistan army and was killed 10 years ago during the fight against Taliban,” Mr. Kushwah said.

$800 per trip to India

Mr. Hanif, who was a government employee, allegedly started peddling drugs in March. The police said he visited Jalalabad in Afghanistan in March for a few days and came in contact with a man called Jabatur. Mr. Hanif was offered $800 per trip to India to ferry the drugs.

“Jabatur arranged a meeting with the main dealer, a person called Mahpir, who shared details of buyers in India. Mr. Hanif disclosed that the duo has a vast network of smugglers across Asia, Europe, and America,” Mr. Kushwah said.

After the meeting, the accused was allegedly trained on how to ingest heroin-filled pellets. Mr. Hanif’s first trip to Delhi was without drugs and utilised to find a rented accommodation.

“He had a passport but got another one made using a different address. Thereafter, he started visiting India frequently. He carried over five dozen heroin-filled pellets of about 600 gm during each trip,” the officer claimed, adding that the accused has brought into the country about 3 kg of heroin worth about ₹6 crore in the international market.

Mr. Kushwah said Mr. Hanif supplied heroin to foreign nationals, including Africans, who transported it to Europe and America via India.

According to data released by the Special Cell, they have arrested 43 drug peddlers, including six foreign nationals, and recovered over 100 kg of drugs, including heroin, opium, hashish, MDMA and ketamine, this year so far.