Men caught from boat carrying heroin weren’t smugglers: police

Mumbai

The eight men, who were apprehended by Indian Coast Guard and Navy from a Pakistani boat off Gujarat coast last month along with heroin, were not smugglers themselves, Mumbai police said today.

As much as 232 kg of heroin worth Rs 600 crore was seized from the boat which was intercepted on April 20.

“The eight occupants of the boat were not smugglers, but only foot-soldiers,” said Atul Chandra Kulkarni, joint commissioner of police (crime).

The Yellow Gate police station here is investigating the case. The investigating officers had already said that the boat’s occupants were fishermen and not smugglers.

Confirming the same, Kulkarni said, “We have found no Mumbai angle in the case. The people caught are not the main people, but only foot-soldiers.”

However, investigations would continue, he said.

Mumbai police have slapped various sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, IPC and other laws against the eight arrested men.

“They were fishermen who didn’t know that their consignment included contraband. They did not know it was heroin,” Kulkarni added.

Those arrested include Alibakhsh Allahbakhsh (30), Yunus Sutar (35), G Siddique (40), Gulshan Maulabakhsh (30), Bakhsh Natho (40), Mohmmad Yusuf (40), Mohmmad Ahmed (28) and Maqsood Akhtar. They are currently lodged in Arhtur Road jail here.

PTI