KHAMBHALIA: Following the arrest of three persons and seizure of heroin and methamphetamine worth Rs 315 crore from them, the Devbhumi Dwarka police in Gujarat on Friday nabbed two fishermen of Salaya town who went into the Arabian Sea in a boat and took delivery of the drugs from Pakistani dealers near the International Maritime Boundary Line, an official said.
The two arrested during the day were identified as Salim Jasraya (50) and Irfan Jasraya (34), both residents of Salaya town of Devbhumi Dwarka district, and they were hired by siblings Salim Kara and Ali Asgar Kara to take delivery of the drugs on the high seas, District Superintendent of Police Sunil Joshi told reporters.
The case unravelled after one Sajjad Ghosi, a resident of Thane in neighbouring Maharashtra, was nabbed from a guest house in Khambhalia town following a tip-off on Tuesday, with police recovering 19 packets containing 11.48 kilograms of heroin and 6.16 kg of methamphetamine, collectively worth Rs 88.25 crore in the illicit market.
Ghosi had named the Kara brothers in the racket after which their residence was raided in Salaya, a coastal town, on Wednesday, leading to the seizure of 45 kilograms of heroin.
"In all, police have recovered nearly 57 kg of heroin and 6 kg of methamphetamine, cumulatively valued at Rs 315 crore. To take delivery from Pakistani drug dealers, Kara brothers had bought a small boat for Rs 2 lakh on an urgent basis and hired Salim Jasraya and Irfan to get the drugs in the guise of fishing," Joshi said.
"They set sail in that boat from Rupen port on October 29, and took delivery near the International Maritime Boundary Line. Both hid the consignment in the fishing net and returned to Salaya port on November 9. They handed over the drugs to Salim Kara, who kept some packets with himself and gave some to Ghosi at Khambhalia. The boat and Kara's car have been seized as well," he said.