KOCHI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which in a joint operation with the Indian Navy seized over 2,500kg of methamphetamine off the Kerala coast, has started looking for Indian links to the contraband, believed to have belonged to the Haji Salim network.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which had named Karachi-based drug lord Haji Salim an accused in a 2021 drug bust, also collected details from the NCB regarding the seizure and arrested a foreign national on Monday.
According to sources, NCB is looking for agents in Tamil refugee camps with a history of drug running via sea routes. The bureau has widened its investigative net to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
“This drug cartel involves people from Pakistan, Iran and Sri Lanka. Most of these boats are destined for Sri Lanka, which is a transit point for drug cartels to hit other countries, including India. There are Sri Lankan refugees who act as agents controlling the supply chain,” they said.
The NIA arrested a Sri Lankan agent from Chennai following the seizure of drugs from a boat with Lankan crew off Vizhinjam in 2021. Haji Salim was named an accused in the case and an arrest warrant is pending against him.
Last year, NIA arrested Tamil refugees C Gunashekharan, Pushparajah and eight others from Tamil Nadu, believed to be aides of Haji Salim who were procuring drugs and arms from him.
“Most of these drugs reach Sri Lanka before being diverted to India and other countries. Haji Salim is mostly involved in the supply of heroin sourced through Afghanistan. Now the seizure of a large quantity of meth points to the establishment of laboratories on a large scale from where these synthetic drugs are produced in Pakistan,” sources said.
Meanwhile, the arrested foreign national has been identified as Zubair Derakhshandeh, 27. NIA sleuths visited the NCB office and collected information on the case. “NIA officials have sought information about the accused. A further probe will reveal the larger conspiracy behind the drug smuggling,” sources said.
Zubair was produced before the Mattancherry Judicial First Class Magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. He was later shifted to the Kakkanad district jail. NCB also produced the seized drugs before the court. The court after checking the seizure mahazar prepared by NCB and handed it back to the agency for further steps.
Zubair was speaking the Balochi language and NCB suspects that he is a native of Balochistan province in Pakistan, even though there are Balochis in Iran. The bureau will file an application seeking his custody soon.
It was on Saturday that the mother vessel was intercepted on Indian waters with over 2,500kg of meth, in what is believed to be the largest-ever drug haul in the country.
Question mark over Zubair’s nationality
Kochi: The nationality of Zubair Derkshandeh has come under debate after the NCB claimed that he is a Pakistani but his lawyer maintained he is Iranian. NCB claimed Zubair hails from the part of Balochistan which is in Pakistan.
“His nationality cannot be confirmed as no ID card or passport was recovered. He is trying to make us believe he is from Iran,” said an NCB official.
However, his lawyer B A Aloor said Zubair hails from the part of Balochistan in Iran.
“NCB is desperate to project him as a Pakistani to add gravity to the incident. We will raise the matter when he is produced in court next,” Aloor said.