Gandhinagar, Jul 12 (IANS): The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has seized 70 kg heroin worth more than Rs 375 crore from the container freight station at Mundra port.

Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Bhatia said in a media briefing, "There was specific intelligence input that few containers imported from Dubai carrying 'clothes' were lying at the Mundra container freight station for some time. Since India is a leading textile exporter, the police got suspicious as to why should somebody import clothes in large quantity from Dubai. On inspection, the ATS personnel unearthed the large quantity of drugs from the containers."

The containers were reportedly meant to be taken to Punjab.

"We got suspicious as the containers were filled only one third, which seldom happens. There were 540 textile rolls, out of which 64 carried heroin. To bypass the X-ray machine, plastic rappers were used to conceal the drugs, while cello tapes were used to cover the plastic layer," Bhatia said.

The officer said the investigating team is is on the lookout for the persons who booked the containers and made the payment.

In 2021, the state police had seized 67 tonnes of heroine, which was almost six times more that the 12 tonnes seized in 2020.