Ahmedabad, June 21 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Crime Branch of Gujarat Police on Sunday uncovered a drug trafficking network that allegedly used courier services to transport mephedrone consignments in small parcels to evade detection, seizing a total of 371.55 grams of the narcotic valued at around Rs 37.15 lakh in a coordinated operation in the city.

According to officials, the case began when a team apprehended an accused from an open ground near Ved Arcade on SP Ring Road in the Vastral area with 20.570 grams of mephedrone, valued at Rs 2,05,700.

The arrest led investigators to a wider trail involving courier consignments being dispatched to Bengaluru in Karnataka and other possible states.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that two parcels had been handed over at Maruti Courier in Shyam Shikhar Complex at the Bapunagar area, for delivery outside Gujarat.

Acting on this input, Crime Branch teams raided the courier office and recovered an additional 350.98 grams of mephedrone concealed in the parcels, valued at Rs 35,09,800.

The total seizure from both recoveries amounted to 371.55 grams of mephedrone, with an estimated commercial value of Rs 37,15,500.

Police also seized two mobile phones valued at Rs 13,000, cash of Rs 470, and three sealed empty packaging boxes, taking the total seized property value to Rs 37,28,970.

A case has been registered at DCB Police Station under Sections 8(c), 22(c) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The arrested accused has been identified as Asuram alias Ashok Kumar Bhadu (Bishnoi), aged 32, a resident of Balotra district in Rajasthan.

Police said further investigation is underway to trace other individuals involved, including a wanted accused identified as Hema alias Hemraj Bishnoi of Rajasthan, along with persons in Bengaluru who allegedly ordered the consignments.

Preliminary investigation suggests the network deliberately used courier services to break down larger consignments into smaller packages to reduce the risk of detection during checks.

DCP (Crime Branch) Ajit Rajian said the operation had exposed a new modus operandi being used by traffickers to circulate narcotics through courier networks.

“The squad of Inspector A.P. Jebaliya of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch has, after considerable effort, successfully uncovered a new modus operandi. In this operation, the Crime Branch has seized more than 371 grams of mephedrone. The main accused has been arrested, while the other accused are being traced,” he said.

He added that the drugs were being sourced from Rajasthan and routed through courier outlets in Bapunagar for distribution beyond Gujarat as well.

“From the Bapunagar area, through certain courier shops, they were sending drugs not only within Gujarat but also to other cities such as Bengaluru in small quantities via courier. They were exploiting the difficulty in checking every parcel,” Rajian said.

According to him, the accused operated through telephonic communication and messaging applications to coordinate deliveries and customers, believing that courier-based movement would reduce the risk of interception.

“Initially, they feared direct delivery due to the possibility of police informants, so they shifted to courier services. However, based on intelligence inputs, this modus operandi was exposed,” he added.

Police said technical devices seized from the accused will be sent for forensic examination, and further investigation is underway to identify additional links in the supply chain and proceeds of crime, including possible assets acquired through drug money.

–IANS

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