18 years after NCB seized 650 kg of ‘drugs’, six accused acquitted for lack of evidence

In 2006, the NCB claimed to have received information that two of the accused were going to be carrying illicitly produced 650 kg of anthranilic acid in a tempo. The controlled substance, usually used in perfumes, was also used as a precursor substance used to make other narcotic drugs.

When the tempo was seized by the officials, it was claimed that 650 kg of the substance was seized in 26 polythene bags. The NCB arrested six persons, claiming that they were involved in the conspiracy with different roles, including procurement, storage and delivery.

The accused through their lawyers Taraq Sayed, Bhumika Gada and Munira Palanpurwala, had said that procedure was not followed by the NCB during the seizure.
The lawyers had submitted that the NCB had to record the tip-off received about the drug and the accused in an information register.

The NCB official told the court that he had written it on a piece of paper, which the lawyers said was not in compliance with the NDPS Act.

The court agreed with this contention. It also said that there were many discrepancies in the evidence, including in statements of witnesses. “No bank record, conversations script or telephonic conversation evidence was brought by the complainant to prove the interconnection and conspiracy between all the accused,” the court said.