3,000 kg heroin worth Rs 21,000 cr seized in Gujarat’s Mundra port
The Print, September 21, 2021
Aryan Khan Arrest / NCB Raid to Deflect Attention From Mundra Drug Bust: Cong
The Quint, October 3, 2021
Heroin In Gujarat
I am a bit worried about Gujarat. It started out as such a nice, ultra conservative state. Its strict laws and policies kept people righteous and right-winged. But recently there has been disturbing news. Shipments of illegal drugs, large enough to host several Woodstocks, have apparently been going in and out of Gujarat.
But first we have to understand why Gujarat got so orthodox. As with most Indian problems, we have to blame either the British or Nehru or both. Under the British Raj, Bombay Province had become too big and fat for its own good. So in 1960, after India’s independence, it went through a process of geopolitical mitosis and split into two states – Maharashtra and Gujarat. Maharashtra took the fun path. It said, “Listen, people. This is Bombay, so get drunk and have fun”. Maharashtra’s policy of alcohol liberalization probably explains the prolific creative output of Bollywood. (Bollywood spins out the highest number of films in the world, about 1,000 movies a year, while Hollywood manages around 500.)
But Gujarat went the other way. It introduced a tough Gujarat Prohibition Act, which could be translated in layman’s terms as, ‘Don’t even think about it, people!’ So when you are in Gujarat, don’t go looking for liquor shops. There are none.
But the innovative merchants of Gujarat saw laws as business opportunities. Soon, Gujarat had a flourishing black market liquor trade. When the government realized there were no slips between the cup and the lip despite its prohibition policy, more stringent amendments were made to the Act in 2016. In a statement of reasons for this amendment, the state government said it was “committed to the ideals and principles of Mahatma Gandhi and firmly intends to eradicate the menace of drinking liquor.” So at least now we know who to blame. Mahatma Gandhi.
But apparently the people of Gujarat needed a bit more than black market liquor. Recently a 3,000 kilo shipment of heroin, worth Rs. 21,000 crores, was seized in the Gujarat port of Mundra. The drugs were hidden in a consignment of semi-processed talc stones. Imagine a person’s surprise when he or she applies talcum face powder and it turns out to be heroin. What an intoxicating tale it would be to tell around a campfire. And it would give a whole new meaning to the expression, ‘going to powder my nose’.
To make things more interesting and intriguing, the consignment of heroin which landed in Gujarat came from Afghanistan via Iran, was headed to Delhi, ordered by a couple from Tamil Nadu, whose company was registered in Andhra Pradesh… this is the stuff spy stories are made of.
Now 3,000 kilos of heroin would even make Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera feel a bit envious. Guzman, affectionately known as ‘El Chapo’ (Shorty) by international police, is the kingpin of the Sinaloa drug cartel of Mexico. As one of the biggest cartels in the world, Sinaloa has done its part in keeping drug addicts of the western world happy for years. Forget Guzman, now we have 3,000 kilos of heroin in our own yard. Such a huge haul should keep our national media headline-happy for quite a while, right? But no.
Something bigger and better happened. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) found 34 grams of drugs elsewhere. And this totally distracted everyone from the Mundra haul.
You might think 34 grams is a pitiable quantity when compared to the Mundra haul (which was 2,988 kgs to be exact). But for the media, the What, Where and How much (heroin, Mundra, 2,988 kgs) is not important, only the Who (son of a Bollywood actor).
The Mundra heroin shipment was seized on September 17. But then, on October 3, the NCB decided to raid a Mumbai celebrity cruise ship. If celebrities go crazy on land, imagine what they would do on the high seas. Of course there would be drugs, alcohol and off camera shenanigans. So NCB officials disguised themselves as passengers and did some sleuthing on the ship. And found 13 grams of cocaine and 21 grams of charas (totaling 34 grams). They also found Aryan, the son of a popular Bollywood superstar. Though these drugs were not found on Aryan, he was arrested for using and abusing drugs.
When you compare the two drug busts, the Mundra haul was 2987.96 kgs bigger (2,988 kgs – 34 grams), but where popular Bollywood personalities are involved, size does not matter. In the ensuing media frenzy, the attention of the media, the authorities and even the Narcotics Control Bureau, turned from Mundra to Mumbai. (For all we know, 2,988 kgs of heroin are still lying abandoned on a lonely Mundra dock, so heroin lovers, here’s your chance, plan a few fun activities on-the-docks.)
You might think the only thing missing from this story is politics. But that’s there too. Opposition parties blamed this bold smuggling attempt on the government’s decision to privatize ports. And claimed that the NCB carried out its first-ever raid of a cruise ship to distract attention from the Mundra heroin. A Congress spokesperson claimed that the NCB was “very busy arresting small fish” while simultaneously ignoring the 3,000 kg heroin that was smuggled into the country through the Adani Mundra Port.
One of my favourite books is Butter Chicken In Ludhiana by Pankaj Mishra. A hilariously insightful book about the oddities of Indian towns, it also tells you where to find the world’s best butter chicken. (Hint. Just follow truck drivers to their favourite Ludhiana dabhas.) I now urge Mr. Mishra to follow up with a bestselling sequel – Heroin in Mundra.
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