Police crack major international courier drug racket

Belgaum, May 29 (UNI) An international drug racket using air courier service to transport drugs was busted with Belgaum police seizing 22 kg hashish worth 22 crore in international market and arrest four persons in this connection.

Superintendent of Police S P Hemant Nimbalkar told reporters that police also seized a 0.45 mm revolver, 26 live cartridges, Rs 16 lakhs in cash from four persons.

The arrested were identified as Akash Balachandra Desai, Asif Abdul Munaf Buthanwale of Karnataka, Mohd Ali Alias Munna Latif Syed of Maharashtra and Sajjan Arvakar of Goa. They were using the air courier route to export hashish smuggled into India and had sent 30 to 35 shipments to nine countries including the US, UK, UAE and South Africa using this route during the last one month, he said.

Police got information on April 27 night that the gang was heading for Goa in the car. They intercepted the car near the city and nabbed the four. They led the police to the hideout to a house in the city where the contraband and other articles were seized.

Police also seized a motorcycle, he said.

The official described it as a international drug racket as the whole consignment of drugs was shipped abroad. Consignments had been allegedly dispatched by a international drug gang, he said The modus operandi of this gang as described by the SP was that it prepared small packets of hashish covered with carbon paper to avoid detection of x-rays at air ports and putting them in between laminated photo frames send the consignment through air courier from the city.

UNI