A High for Afghan Drug Syndicate Crackdown: 34 Kg Heroin Recovered from Muzaffarnagar | Exclusive

A day after CNN-News18 exposed the blueprint of drug smuggling sleeper cells in India and the Pakistan-Afghanistan link, two peddlers, both residents of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, were caught in Delhi with heroin worth 1 kg brought in with the help of mules from Afghanistan, according to sources.

Based on the information received during the interrogation, a storehouse in Muzaffarnagar was raided and 34 kg heroin and 2.750 kg acetic anhydride was recovered.

During the initial investigation, it was revealed that the Afghan-India drug syndicate has been active for the past few months.

They have been smuggling heroin into India through maritime and land border route by concealing it in various items such as talc.

CNN-News18 on Tuesday carried an exclusive report on how Pakistan was taking advantage of its geographical location for drug business in the Golden Crescent and its porous border with Afghanistan served as major transit corridor for the drugs, according to a note from the Indian intelligence agencies.

The Narcotics Control Bureau in Delhi acted on the information from anti-terrorism squad (ATS) in Gujarat and intercepted the duo carrying the consignment in a vehicle (MG Hector) in Delhi, which further led to the raid in Muzaffarnagar.

Heroin was extracted from the goods in the storehouse. The NCB has registered a case and investigation is in progress.

THE AFGHAN LINK

CNN-News18 report had showed how smuggling of drugs is a well-oiled system which is run and funded from Afghanistan and its distribution network is handled by Pakistan-based sleeper cells in India, said sources.

These sleeper cells mainly include Sikhs and Muslims with connections in Dubai, Lahore and Karachi. They not only arrange for imports in India, but also for custom clearance and further distribution, said the note.

Once it is distributed across the country, they collect the money and keep a part of it for terror activities and the rest goes back via hawala channels.

The cell forges documents including goods and service tax invoices, custom clearance certificates and company records. The cells arrange for warehouses and stores in major cities.

Due to international body Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) crackdown on terror financing, Pakistan is facing a financial crisis and has devised this formula to activate self-funded sleeper cells, said sources.

In this business, while Pakistan’s role is minimal, they are able to get a major cut in the earnings, which can fund their terror projects in India, said sources.

They are using anti-India elements for the cause, with most unaware that their company is importing drugs, said sources.

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