A special Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court in Gujarat has sentenced six Pakistani nationals to rigorous imprisonment for 20 years each on charges of smuggling nearly 77 kg of heroin, valued at $2,000. $384.68 crore, in Indian waters in December 2021.
The court also imposed a fine of $2 million for each of the accused.
Those convicted are: Muhammad Omran Muhammad Tariq Fagher, 31 years old; Danis Muhammad Hussein Kuchi Fagher, 24; Sagar Muhammad Kuchi Fagher, 23 years old; Ismail Ibrahim Barla, 75; Mohamed Sajid Mohamed Hussein Yakubalala Kongra, 24; and Ashfaq Muhammad Ishaq Faghir, 26, all residents of Karachi, Pakistan.
The judgment was delivered by Sixth Additional District Judge V A Buddha.
District government prosecutor HP Jadeja, who appeared for the prosecution, said the court held that such acts of supply of narcotic substances could not be treated as ordinary crimes and that the accused were part of a planned operation. He said the court noted that large-scale drug trafficking affects not only individuals, but also the country’s structure and internal security.
He added that during the trial, the prosecution presented 203 documentary evidence and heard 13 witnesses, adding that the court convicted all six defendants and sentenced them to 20 years in prison with a fine of 2,000 pounds sterling. $2 lakh each.
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The case relates to an operation that took place in December 2021 when the Pakistani boat “Al-Hussaini” was intercepted off the coast of Jakhau in Kutch after specific intelligence inputs. The ship had entered Indian waters about 35 nautical miles from the coast between December 18 and 20 to deliver drugs.
A joint team of Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and Indian Coast Guard carried out surveillance.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. on December 20, a suspicious boat was detected on radar and intercepted. Six people on board were arrested.
A search of the ship led to the seizure of five bags containing 76,936 kg of heroin without a license. An offense was registered under the NDPS Act and a chargesheet was filed after investigation.
