Vijayawada's Gadiyaram Street in spotlight

Vijayawada: Does Vijayawada have any link with Gujarat in supply of drugs? Is it getting drugs that originated from Afghanistan via the Gujarat coast? These are the questions that are now being seriously probed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

As the news that 2,988 kg of heroin which is estimated to be worth Rs 9,000 crore was booked in the name of Aashi trading company, Gadiyaram Street, Satyanarayanapuram in Vijayawada broke, the DRI officials took up search operations of a house.

Though they could not get any details from the small old house, it was learnt that the Aashi trading company has branches in Kakinada and Chennai. It had obtained a licence for export of rice from the Kakinada port, but it does not have any import licence.

The trader Govinda Rao was taken into custody from Chennai for questioning. It is suspected that the drug mafia used the Aashi trading company in Vijayawada to book the drug consignment. Sources said Aashi trading company obtained a GST licence in August 2020 for exports business.

On inquiry, the neighbours of the old house where Aashi trading company is located feigned ignorance about the activities of the company.

Meanwhile, Vijayawada Police Commissioner B Srinivasulu in a statement on Monday said there is no connection between the smuggled heroin in Gujarat and Vijayawada. He said the smuggled heroin in the disguise of talcum powder that landed at the Mundra port is intended to reach Delhi, but not Vijayawada.

He informed that Govindaraju Durga Purna Vaishali, a resident of Chennai, had taken GST registration in August 2020 on the address of Door No. 23-14-16, Gadiyaramvari street, Satyanarayanapuram for the purpose of export and import business.

Machavaram Sudhakar, a resident of Chennai, is the husband of Vaishali. The building under question is owned by Govindaraju Taraka, mother of Vaishali. Except for the address, Vijayawada is in no way connected with the drugs seized in Gujarat, he added.