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Ashokkumar Ayappan Muthurela, a mechanical engineer from Tamil Nadu who had gone to Muscat to work, was arrested by the Devbhumi Dwarka Police after he landed at Okha fishing harbour early Thursday on board a boat crewed by three Iranian nationals, trying to re-enter India without valid travelling documents.
His younger brother Anandkumar, an electrical engineer with another company in Muscat, was also arrested, as he flew back to India and went to Okha town to receive Ashokkumar, who was to reach there by sea, the police said. Acting on a tip-off, the Special Operations Group of Devbhumi Dwarka district police, Local Crime Branch of Dwarka police and officers of Okha Marine police stations intercepted a dinghy after it approached the under-construction Signature Bridge in Okha harbour. They detained four men on board it on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.
One of the four men was identified as Ashokkumar (37) from Annai Nagar in Coimbatore district. The other three were identified as Mustafa Baluchi (38), Jashem Baluchi (25) and Amirhussain Baluchi (19) — all Iranian nationals, residents of Jask city, the police said. Later on, Anandkumar was also arrested from Okha.
The police found Mustafa carrying 10 gm of heroin worth Rs 5.01 lakh. One satellite phone, eight cellphones, two laptops, barrels and cans of petrol, one GPS device, 15 ATM cards, Iranian Rials of 2.5 lakh face-value and two passports were found on the accused. The police have also seized the boat.
Nitish Pandey, SP of Devbhumi Dwarka, said that Ashokkumar was trying to re-enter India without valid documents after a fallout with his sponsor for his job in Muscat. “Ashok Ayappan had a fallout with his sponsor, who seized the former’s passport and was not returning it. So, he planned to enter India illegally,” he added.
Pandey said that a doctor from Iran helped Ashokkumar first reach Iran after crossing the Gulf of Oman and then set sail for India. “Dr Hussain, a doctor in Iran, helped him plan everything and got around 8,000 Iranian Rial in return. First, he arranged for Ashok to reach Iran from Muscat via the sea route. Then, he arranged a local boat and three Iranian crew who brought him to Okha,” he added.
Pandey further said Anandkumar flew to Rajkot from Muscat with valid travelling documents on Wednesday and reached Okha to receive his brother. “He was involved in facilitating Ashok’s illegal entry to India… The accused used to remain in touch with Dr Hussain via the satellite phone,” he said.
The SP said the four have been booked under Foreigners Act, Passport Act and Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Inspector General of Police (Rajkot range) Ashok Kumar Yadav told The Indian Express that the four men had set sail from Iran five days ago. “We are investigating why such an educated man would not contact the Indian Embassy in Oman and try re-enter India illegally,” Yadav added.
“The three Iranian nationals are claiming to be fishermen. The man in whose possession heroin was found is claiming that he was using the drug to battle seasickness. But this is his version. We are investigating the case from all angles,” said Yadav.
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