Rs 1,000 crore heroin seizure in Nhava Sheva: Three others held from Delhi

MUMBAI: Three more people were arrested from Delhi on Monday in connection with the seizure of 191 kg of heroin worth Rs 1,000 crore from Nhava Sheva on Sunday. Importer Suresh Bhatia, finance and Import Export Code licence holder Mahendra Nigam and middleman Mohammed Numan were picked up by the DRI and brought to Mumbai.
The drug was smuggled from Afghanistan by declaring it as ayurvedic medicine.It was concealed in plastic pipes coloured to make them look like bamboos and the pipes had tree barks pasted on the surface to make them appear like the bark of a tree.
The three arrested on Monday have criminal backgrounds. While Bhatia had earlier been arrested in a drug case, Nigam was arrested in a murder case in Delhi and Numanin a kidnapping case by the CBI.
So far, five people have been arrested in the drug haul case. The SIIB of Customs and DRI had, in a joint operation, arrested two customs house agents - Meenanath Bodake of M B Shipping & Logistics Solution from Navi Mumbai and Kondibhau Pandurang Gunjal from Mumbra in Thane who had documented the import. On interrogation them, the police learnt about the involvement of three from Delhi.
Officials said that those arrested on Monday will be produced in the Esplanade metropolitan magistrate's court on Tuesday to seek their judicial custody.
DRI officials said the three have undergone a Covid test and the report expected on Tuesday. "The question is where such a quantity of drugs was to be sent. Once we get custody we will interrogate them about the source and resources," said an officer.