Heroin worth over Rs 50 lakh seized, 1 held

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 42-year-old man from Bawana and seized 172 grams of heroin worth more than Rs 50 lakh in the international market from his possession.

The police said the operation was carried out by the Central Range, Kamla Market, following a tip-off. The accused, identified as Samrul Mirza, alias Sameer, was intercepted at around 8:50 am.

During a search conducted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, heroin was found hidden inside his bag. A case under Section 21 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the Crime Branch police station.

Police officials said the heroin had been sent for forensic examination and investigations were on to trace his supply network and identify other individuals connected to the seized consignment.

Mirza, originally from West Bengal, has been living in Delhi for several years. According to the police, he dropped out of school in the second standard and later worked as an auto-rickshaw driver. While his family continues to live in West Bengal, he has been staying alone in Delhi.

Records show that Mirza has a criminal history with several cases lodged against him in the city. The Crime Branch stated that efforts were being made to establish the forward and backward linkages of the drug supply chain.

The police said the accused was in custody and further action would be taken based on the outcome of the investigation.