Post Mundra drug haul, Adani Ports to not handle containerised cargo from Iran, Pak, Afghanistan from Nov 15

New Delhi, Oct 12: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) issued a trade advisory stating that from next month, it will not handle any container cargo originating from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan with effect from November 15 till further notice. This came after nearly 3,000 kg of heroin was seized from two containers at its Mundra port in Kutch in one of the biggest such hauls ever in the country almost a month ago.

 

 

The advisory signed by Subrat Tripathy, CEO of APSEZ (Ports) said that it will apply to all terminals operated by APSEZ and including third party terminals at any APSEZ port till further notice.

 

 

"Please be informed that with effect from November 15, 2021, APSEZ will not handle EXIM containerised cargo originating from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This trade advisor will apply to all terminals operated by APSEZ and including third party terminals at any APSEZ port till further notice," stated the advisory signed by Chief Executive Officer Subrat Tripathy.

 

Disguised as a consignment of ‘semi-processed talc stones’ originating from Afghanistan which had arrived from Bandar Abbas Port, Iran, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 2,988.21 kg of heroin from two containers at the Mundra port in Kutch district in September. Eight people, including five foreign nationals, were arrested in the case.

 

 

On September 13, the DRI seized the two containers. On September 17 and 19, it was established that the two containers in fact contained heroin which was concealed in "the lower layers" of "jumbo bags" topped with talc stones, the release said. The drug had to be "painstakingly separated from the talc stones," it added.

 

The DRI then arrested M Sudhakar and his wife Durga Vaishali from Chennai — who allegedly ran Vijayawada-registered M/S Aashi Trading Company which had imported the consignment of `talc stones'. The drug haul is considered to be one of the biggest in the world with the value of the seized heroin estimated to be Rs 21,000 crore in the international markets. One kg of the drug sells at Rs 5 to 7 crore.

 

"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," the Press Information Bureau (PIB) had said in a statement.

 

 

According to the reports, the Andhra firm, which was registered as the official recipient of the two containers had imported a similar consignment from the same Afghanistan company in June. Besides, the Adani Group company has about 13 ports and terminals in India, including the largest commercial port at Mundra. It handles container cargo at Mundra and Hazira in Gujarat; Vizhinjam in Kerala; Kattupalli and Ennore (terminal) in Tamil Nadu; Dighi in Maharashtra; and Krishnapatnam in Andhra.