Drug dealer’s wife, son among 3 held in Gujarat for smuggling heroin in India via sea route

The drug dealer, who is absconding since 2021 and currently based in an African country, was one of the main accused in the seizure of heroin worth Rs 600 crore by the Gujarat ATS in Morbi district in 2021.

Photo for representation: iStock

PTI

Ahmedabad, March 6

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested three relatives of absconding drug dealer Isa Hussain Rao, including his wife and son, on Wednesday for allegedly helping him smuggle 8 kg heroin in the country through sea route and delivering the contraband to a foreigner in Delhi in October last year, an official said.

Rao, a native of Jodia village of Jamnagar district who is absconding since 2021 and currently based in an African country, was one of the main accused in the seizure of heroin worth Rs 600 crore by the Gujarat ATS in Morbi district in 2021.

His wife Tahira and son Arbaz, who reside in Jodia village, were among those arrested. One kg heroin usually fetches nearly Rs 5 crore in the international market.

At that time, a probe had revealed that 120 kg of heroin worth Rs 600 crore was sent by Rao’s Pakistan-based associates by sea route and then moved to Morbi after it landed at the Salaya port near Jamnagar.

Using the same modus operandi, the ATS learnt that Rao had sent 8 kg heroin in October last year with the help of his Pakistan-based drug trafficker identified only as Murtaza, said the agency in a release.

As directed by the drug dealer, a Gujarat-registered boat took delivery of the contraband in the international waters near the Oman coast from Murtaza, who was on board another vessel, said the release.

The Gujarat-registered boat delivered the heroin on the coast near Veraval harbour on October 16. The contraband, as directed by Rao, first reached Abu Road in adjoining Rajasthan by road and then it was delivered to a foreign national in Tilak Nagar area of Delhi by Rao’s men, it said.

Investigations revealed that Rao’s wife Tahira, who lives in Jodia village of Jamnagar district, their daughter Masuma, son Arbaz and Masuma’s fiance Rizwan Taiyab were actively involved in taking the delivery at Veraval then and transporting the drug consignment to Delhi with the help of others as directed by Rao, said the ATS.

While Tahira, Arbaz and Rizwan were arrested on Wednesday, efforts are on to nab others, including Masuma, Isa Rao, Murtaza and the foreign national who took the contraband’s delivery, said the anti-terror agency.