Gujarat ATS seizes cocaine worth Rs 2 crore from Mahuva

After a long chase,the police caught one Purshottam alias Paresh Baraiyya who informed them of supplying cocaine to one Imran Ghanchi,who confessed to the deal. The police seized one kilogram cocaine from him.

Gujarat ATS Chief Ajay Tomar said: “Three people were arrested on the spot,and two others who had managed to flee,were arrested later. All five have been booked under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.”

According to the ATS,the contraband was found in a rural area,which is usually not the case. Cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is generally used and found more in urban cities like Mumbai,Delhi,Pune,Bangalore and the like.

The team is now investigating on the link as to how cocaine arrived at a village in Mahuva. The seizure also assumes significance as cocaine is grown only in South American and some European nations. ATS officers have opined that the contraband might have been smuggled into India from a foreign destination for the drug cartels here.

“Whether Gujarat is becoming a new transit point for international drug deal or not is also under investigation. It can be a tip of an iceberg. The existence of an international drug racket cannot be ruled out,” Tomar said.

Few others accused in the case are still at large. Tomar added: “Our investigations are on and some more may be arrested soon.”