2 Afghan nationals arrested with 50 kg contraband heroin

New Delhi : Two Afghan nationals have been arrested for smuggling banned drugs into India after 50 kg heroin was seized from them, police said on Tuesday. The accused Mohmmad Akbar (45) and Nedfa Mohammad (38) are from Kandahar and Helmand provinces in Afghanistan and have smuggled the drugs into the country through the Attari-Wagah border between India and Pakistan, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Manishi Chandra said they raided a cold storage on Mariyapuri Road in Kundli, Sonepat, where they found the 204 poly-pouches of heroin concealed between the cardboard layering of raisin cartons.

There were 102 cartons of raisins, the DCP added. The raid was conducted "on the instance of one of the arrested Afghan national" where "two more Afghani persons" were found who led police to the raisin cartons, he said.

The marked cartons were interspersed amongst a consignment of over 600 cartons which had arrived in India from Kandhar through Attari-Wagah border check post in the March, the DCP said. A total of 204 poly-pouches were recovered concealed between two layers of carton casing cardboard, he said.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that Akbar is a proprietor of the exporter firm Mohammad Akbar Afghani Limited and has been in the trade for over three years, police said.

Once his consignment landed in Delhi, he followed it by flight to secure the marked cartons for extracting the heroin. Neda also arrived in Delhi and was assisting Akbar in handling the cargo, they added. Last week, police arrested five persons, including two Afghan nationals, and recovered heroin worth about Rs 600 crore in the international market.