Gujarat: 400kg of heroin-coated yarn seized at Pipavav

Bearing an imprint of south American drug cartels, a consignment of 395 kg yarn coated with heroin was found by Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) from a container.

According to sources, officials have so far been able to extract 90 kg of heroin worth approximately Rs 450 crore in international markets  from the yarn. 

Further process to extract contraband from yarn bales is still on.

DRI officials said that it could well be the first such case in India where such a modus operandi is employed.

Gujarat DGP Ashish Bhatia told media on Friday that the consignment was found from a container at Pipavav port in Amreli district on Thursday.

The consignment was lying at the port for the past five months. The container had a gross weight of 9.7 tons and the cargo was declared as threads.

ATS officials said that Afghanistan is the likely source of the contraband which was routed through the Middle East.