Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS have arrested five including four from Maharashtra for allegedly smuggling hashish through the sea route, the officials said on Monday. The accused were arrested near Porbandar in Gujarat with 173 packets of hashish, worth Rs. 60.5 crore, hidden in the hold of the boat. The preliminary investigation has revealed that these individuals had been in touch with Pakistan based drug syndicates.
Those arrested have been identified as Kailash Sanap (34) from Beed, Datta Sakharam (57) from Ulhasnagar, Mangesh Tukaram (30) and Haridas Kulal from Ahmednagar and one Ali Asghar Halepotra alias Arif Bidani.
According to the police, information was received by Gujarat ATS that “three Indians from Mumbai and Beed in Maharashtra, Kailash Vajinath Sanap, Datta Sakharam and Mangesh Tukaram alias Sahu are trying to smuggle in narcotics substance through the sea route. For this purpose, they have hired an Indian Fishing Boat in the name of a local person and have departed in the pretext of fishing on the intervening night of 22nd/23rd April and would be coming back on 27th /28th of April to Gujarat coast. They would be transporting the contraband from Gujarat Coast to the hinterland.”
Coast Guard And ATS Operation Leads To Drug Bust And Arrests In Gujarat
Based on this information, the joint team of Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS launched an operation from Porbandar on board ICGS Sajag. At around1200 hours of 28th April, the Indian Coast Guard and ATS Gujarat team identified the IFB and boarded the boat. The search of the boat led to the recovery of 173 packets of Hashish from the possession of Mangesh Tukaram alias Sahu and Haridas Ramnath Kulal alias Puri, hidden in the hold of the boat. Meanwhile, on the basis of technical surveillance, Gujarat ATS detained Kailash Vajinath Sanap from Pune, Datta Sakharam from Dwarka and Ali Asghar Halepotra from Mandhvi, Kutch.
"The preliminary investigation has revealed that these individuals had been in touch with Pakistan based drug syndicates. For taking delivery of Hashish from Pakistan, Kailash Sanap, Datta Sakharam and Mangesh Tukaram had come to Dwarka and Mandhvi where they had come in touch with local boat owners. Unable to purchase a fishing boat in their name, they hired a boat belonging to a local from Salaya, Devbhumi Dwarka. On the night of 22nd / 23rd April, in the pretense of going for fishing, Mangesh Tukaram and Haridas Ramnath had taken the boat and its crew to the sea after which they had overpowered and threatened the crew members and the tandel (master) was asked to take the boat to a predetermined position off Pasni, Pakistan," the Gujarat police said in a statement.
Drug Trafficking Scheme Unveiled
"The accused Mangesh Tukaram was in constant contact with Kailash Sanap over Thuraya satellite phone and was acting on his instructions. On the early morning hours of 27th April, they had taken the delivery of Hashish along with fuel and rations from a Pakistani speed boat at a location, 110Nm off Pasni, Pakistan. After taking the delivery, they were on the way back to a predetermined point, 60 NM off Dwarka. As per their plan, Kailash Sanap had instructed Datta Sakharam to take a smaller boat to this location, take delivery of the contraband and transport the same to a deserted stretch of the Dwarka coast. The final receiver of the consignment, sent by Kailash Sanap, was to take the delivery of the contraband from here," the statement added.
An offence under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act is being registered in the ATS Police Station, Ahmedabad.
