Ahmedabad: The city’s cybercrime unit has uncovered the involvement of one Garvit Patel of Surat in a case involving the seizure of drugs worth Rs. 50 lakh a month ago. Patel, the son of a Surat builder, is currently evading law enforcement following the arrest of his associate, Kolesnikov Vasili, in Himachal Pradesh.

It is learnt that Patel had travelled to the US on a student visa, but due to suspected criminal involvement, he was deported back to India. The search is ongoing for both Patel and Kolesnikov’s cousin, who is believed to be in the US.

On September 29, the cybercrime unit cracked an international drug smuggling operation, confiscating 23 packages of drug-filled soft toys and books. The pages of the books were laced with cocaine, while hybrid cannabis was concealed within the soft toys.

On October 13, a Russian national Kolesnikov Vasili was apprehended in Himachal Pradesh. He had violated the terms of his visa in India and had been collecting packages on behalf of Patel. These packages, sent from Canada and Thailand with fraudulent addresses, were directed to Ahmedabad’s Shahibaug foreign post office, from where Vasili would retrieve them at various locations in Gujarat.

An event manager from Ahmedabad, who procured the drugs from Patel, has also been identified but is currently at large.

Insiders have disclosed that during his stay in the US, Patel became involved in minor drug dealing, delivering small quantities to customers while he was a student. His involvement in criminal activities resulted in his deportation. “He became a drug addict and established connections with drug dealers in the US. Teaming up with Ergo Vasili, Patel began smuggling cocaine and hybrid cannabis packages, distributing them to various cities in India. Our teams are actively pursuing Patel, and we have also informed the Surat police to assist,” stated a cybercrime official. DeshGujarat