AP links to drugs mafia exposed

Seizure of drugs worth Rs 21,000 crore from a private port is a serious question that demands a very deep probe into all connected affairs. A Gujarat Special Court has raised a very substantive question. Indeed, it was a welcome measure that on September 25, the special court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in Gujarat has directed the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to investigate if the "Mundra Adani Port, its management and its authority has gained any benefits" from the import of 2,990 kg heroin, seized by the DRI on September 16.

The judge also said this seizure has raised "many issues" that should be investigated, including "why the consignment was "registered and landed at Mundra Adani Port, Gujarat, which is far from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, that is surrounded by other ports like the Chennai port?" The Additional District Judge C M Pawar, while hearing the remand application of one of the key-accused, Rajkumar P (a Coimbatore resident who used WhatsApp to broker the deal between the Indian company and a Iranian exporter), in his order said:

"… it is required to be investigated that what is the role of authority and officers of Mundra Adani Port while such consignment/container was sent/imported from foreign nation to India and landed at Mundra Adani Port and how management, authority and officer of Mundra Adani port was completely under dark and oblivious about the fact of import of such consignment at Mundra Adani Port wherein contraband heroin of approximately 2,990 kgs was found and whether Mundra Adani Port, its management and its authority has gained any benefits from import of such consignment of NDPS substances in India."

It is reported that the Special Court has further asked the DRI to investigate "the modalities and the process for scanning and checking of such container and consignment at foreign nations and at Mundra port when said consignment/container was sent/imported from foreign nation to India and landed at Mundra Adani Port."

The special court on September 26 also pointed out some more very serious issues involved in this affair. It said that in the last two years, the sea at Gujarat, especially the sea area of Kachchh district, has become a hub for "importing/smuggling of contraband in huge quantities from foreign countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan" running into crores of rupees. The court stressed the DRI should investigate all aspects of the case booked by it against Aashi Trading, including the probe into the management and officials of Mundra Adani Port, even if other agencies are investigating the case.

PIB Statement

In a statement on September 22, 2021, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) stated, "A total of eight persons including four Afghan nationals, one Uzbek and three Indians have been arrested so far. The arrested Indian nationals include the holder of the Import Export Code (IEC), which was used to import the consignment. He was arrested from Chennai. Investigations are in progress." One can imagine how much of damage this stock of drugs could cause to Indian youth. The most important point to be noted is that this has been smuggled to India through these private ports.

Media reported that this Talibani-drug scam has attracted a variety of criticism. Singer Composer Vishal Dadlani has alleged that Shah Rukh Khan and his family are being used as a smokescreen: He wrote: "If Composers count, I am. SRK and his family are being used as a smokescreen, a soft target to distract from the 3000kg Talibani-drug haul at the Adani port, and to distract from the murder of farmers by the son of a BJP member/MLA. Straight-up." In fact, Vishal Dadlani has ventilated a common man's doubt. Seizure of Rs 21,000 crore drugs demands a deeper and more serious probe than a hype being built around the arrest of a celebrity's son.

AP police statements

The police statement also raises some more doubts. Vijayawada Police Commissioner B Sreenivasulu, as per a news portal report, had issued a 'clarification' that the company was not directly involved with the import of drugs and that only the address of the firm was used for shipping purposes by miscreants. The Vijayawada police further said in a public statement that "so far, no activity, except using the Vijayawada house address for obtaining licences (by the wife for import and export), has come to notice. However, further enquiries are being conducted."

Why this kind of open certification of clearance through the media? If that is so, why the couple were arrested and remanded to DRI custody? After identifying that the importer firm, as Aashi Trading Company, which is alleged to be run by M Sudhakar and his wife G Durga Purna Vaishali, they have been arrested by the DRI from Chennai and they were later brought to Bhuj town in Kutch. On September 20, the couple was produced before a special court for NDPS cases in Bhuj that granted 10 days' custody of the two to the DRI. Which investigator is correct- AP Police or DRI?

Jana Sena's collection of videos

Why Andhra became a hub of narcotic distribution and ventured to facilitate import of drugs from Afghanistan? There are some more video proofs that raise multiple doubts. Film Actor and Janasena Party leader Pawan Kalyan says: "During my 'Porata Yatra' in 2018, which was meant to understand the socio-economic issues of people of the state, in the tribal areas of Andhra-Orissa border I had received numerous complaints about health, unemployment, illegal mining and about 'Ganja trade and its mafia'."

The Jana Sena leader posted several video clips of police officials of different States and cities to support his allegations/claims. "Andhra Pradesh — 'Narcotics hub of the nation' supplies ganja to Pune, Mumbai and Maharashtra, too. The Maharashtra Police have seized the Ganja shipment, Pawan wrote with an alleged clip of a TV news channel's report about seizure of 312 kg of the contraband. (On 27th October 2021 this video is posted: https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/283978883594856)

i. "Hyderabad City-Police Commissioner' Sri Anjani Kumar, (IPS) giving out details about how narcotics are being transported from AP to the rest of the country," tweet of Jana Sena leader with a clip from the police official's press conference. Hyderabad CP reveals that from Narsipatnam Visakha there is a major route to Ahmednagar in Maharastra, through which majority of Ganja is being transported. https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/250572323793738

ii. The video clip of Ranganath, Superintendent of Police of Nalgonda district of Telangana, revealed that the Andhra Orissa Border area is the source of ganja and from there it is supplied to various parts of the country. SP says ganja was coming from AP into entire state of Telangana. It is thousands of crore rupees business. The SP said it was a big entrench of network involved in ganja trade earning thousands of crores of rupees.(https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/1236861636814487

iii. Another video clip of Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant and also a TV report about Kerala police seizing huge amounts of Ganja from Andhra Pradesh. https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/416342106544398

iv. Another video clip is of a Madhya Pradesh police official speaking about seizure of ganja worth Rs 1 crore which was brought from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. (On 27th October https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/4525140167577953)

v. A TV report posted by Pawan is about the Rajasthan Police seizing 210 kg of ganja from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Entire Ganja recovered in Rajashtan is reportedly has come from Visakhapatnam, the video says Rajasthan recovered 210 kilos of Ganja. (See the video dated 27th October 2021:https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/214590650778768)

vi. Another clip shows that the Ganja caught in Kerala came from A. P.https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/952492818995811

vii. Another video is of Delhi Police revealing the seizure of ganja. Subsequent interrogation revealed, it came from Visakhapatnam. https://www.facebook.com/PawanKalyan/videos/481458023565065

Some of videos tweeted by Pawan Kalyan can be seen in this link: October 27, 2021. https://www.gulte.com/political-news/129775/ap-has-become-a-narcotics-hub-pawan-tweets-videos. If anyone who watches these links, he will understand that AP has become the epicentre for these activities. Pavan Kalyan's information should have been taken more seriously to probe it further.

(The author is Dean & Professor, School of Law, Mahindra University, Hyderabad, and former Central Information Commissioner) (The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of The Hans India)