In a significant drug bust, the Ahmedabad Airport police seized 7 kilograms of drugs worth Rs2 crore at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Monday. The police apprehended seven individuals, including one woman, who were part of an elaborate international drug smuggling network.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the woman, Manisha, had come to the airport to collect the drugs from four individuals residing in Junagadh who had smuggled the drugs from Thailand. She was reportedly working for her partner, Ashraf Khan, who orchestrated the operation.
The police had received intelligence about the smuggling operation and placed a team at Terminal 2 of the airport to monitor the situation. They observed four young men handing a bag to Manisha, who had arrived in an auto rickshaw. Upon suspicion, the police checked the bag and discovered the drugs. All four individuals, including the woman, were arrested on the spot.
The individuals arrested were identified as Sarfaraz Iqbal, Shoyab Muslim, Akil Kalod, Nadim Amriliya, and Manisha. Further inquiries revealed that Manisha was working for her romantic partner, Ashraf Khan, who had been ordering drugs from Vietnam and Thailand for some time. He would send individuals on trips to Thailand, taking care of all their bookings, and paying them ₹10,000 for each trip, instructing them to bring back marijuana.
Ashraf Khan’s accomplice, Mohmad, was responsible for selecting the individuals who traveled to Thailand. Upon their return, Manisha would receive the drugs and supply them to Khan, who would pay her Rs6,000 for her services.
The smuggling operation used innovative methods to avoid airport detection, such as wrapping the drugs in special cloth that was undetectable by airport screening machines. This method had allowed the network to successfully smuggle large quantities of drugs into India in the past.
Upon learning of the scheme, the police also apprehended Ashraf Khan and Mohmad, alongside the five individuals arrested at the airport. The police are now continuing their investigation into the larger drug trafficking network, aiming to dismantle further operations.
