Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Oct 19: Ahmedabad police have arrested two men and seized 124.11 grams of heroin worth Rs 24.82 lakh during a raid in the Bapunagar area of Gujarat. The total value of the seized narcotics, cash, mobile phones and a two-wheeler has been estimated at Rs 25.74 lakh.
The seizure was made on a public road in front of Lallu Ratna's shanties near Soneriya Block in Bapunagar.
The arrested men have been identified as Rohit Rajput, 28, and Anand Prajapati, 37, both residents of Soneriya Block in Bapunagar. Rajput originally hails from Azadnagar in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, while Prajapati works as an auto-rickshaw driver, police said.
Apart from 124.11 grams of heroin valued at Rs 24,82,200, the police seized two mobile phones worth Rs 15,000, cash amounting to Rs 5,550 and a two-wheeler valued at Rs 70,000. The total value of the seized property stands at Rs 25,74,700.
A case has been registered at Bapunagar police station under Sections 8(c) and 22(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The police are searching for two other accused, identified as Nanu alias Bhavesh Patni and Tinaben Patni, who are reportedly residents of the shanties near Soneriya Block.
The raid followed specific information received by Head Constable Jayrajsinh Harisinh and Police Constable Jaydipsinh Nikuldevsinh of the Bapunagar police station's NDPS and Surveillance squads.
“Acting on the information about narcotic substances, including MD drugs, the team conducted the operation after following the prescribed legal procedure under the NDPS Act,” police said.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Police Inspector V.K. Gadhvi, with the participation of the NDPS squad in-charge and other personnel.
Senior police officials have directed teams to take action against those involved in the trafficking, purchase, sale and supply of narcotic substances under the city's “Zero Tolerance Policy” and “No Drugs in Ahmedabad” campaign.
Police said Rajput has previous cases registered against him at Odhav police station in 2021 under Sections 380, 454 and 457 of the Indian Penal Code; at Bapunagar police station in 2022 under Sections 323, 326 and 294(a) of the IPC and Section 131 of the Gujarat Police Act; and at the 'I' Traffic police station in 2022 under Section 131 of the Gujarat Police Act.
Prajapati has previous cases registered at Rakhial police station in 2019 under Sections 65(e) and 66(b) of the Prohibition Act, and at Gomtipur police station in 2020 under Section 65(e) of the Act.
Further investigation is underway to identify others who may have been involved in the case.