Two foreign nationals held with drugs worth ₹1,200 crore

‘Methamphetamine gradually replacing heroin as preferred financing option for terror operations’

Two nationals from Afghanistan were arrested for allegedly possessing drugs worth ₹1,200 crore, including 312.5 kg of high-quality party drug Methamphetamine and 10 kg of Afghan-origin heroin, the police said on Tuesday.

The accused have been identified as Mustafa Stanikzai from Kabul, and Rahumullah Rahimi, a resident of Kandahar.

A team of Special Cell was being provided credible inputs that over the past few years, Meth was gradually replacing heroin as the preferred financing option for terror operations.

“In order to thoroughly investigate the emerging use of Meth as the fulcrum of evolving narco-terror matrix, an FIR was lodged under relevant sections of the UAPA Act and investigation was taken up.

Further probe revealed that a huge consignment of a known druglord operating from the overseas would be in transit in Delhi. Thereafter, a specific input was received on September 3 that two Afghan nationals were reaching Delhi and were expected to carry some contraband with them. A trap was laid and the two persons were arrested from near Kalindi Kunj metro station. 

“In this stop and search operation, 1.360 kg of heroin was recovered from the possession of Mustafa while, another 1.040 kg of heroin was recovered from Rahimullah.

Since the intelligence to police pointed towards a bigger consignment, the accused duo revealed to the police that another car possessing drugs was following the duo which was later intercepted and searched. “During search of the 16 bags, a white crystalline material was found and further tests revealed that nine out of them contained Methamphetamine. The bags weighed around 311.4 kg and various other chemicals and a glass container used for refining contraband were also subsequently recovered from the house of Mustafa,” said Special CP (Special Cell) H.G.S Dhaliwal.

The Special CP said that Meth was being pushed into India, concealed in different legitimate export articles like silica gel, talc stone, gypsum powder, basil seeds, etc. From Afghanistan, the contraband usually reaches a port in the neighboring country and gets containerised for various seaport destinations in India. 

“Wherever reconstitution or purification is required, the contraband after exiting India seaports is transported to make shift factories based in M.P., Punjab and Delhi,” the DCP said.