The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials have seized Afghan heroin valued at Rs 4 crore in the illicit market from the cargo complex at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport recently. The said consignment had arrived from South Africa and was supposed to be sold in the domestic market, the agency sources claimed. The NCB is also making enquiries with the consignee from Gujarat.

Speaking about the operation, Zonal Director of Mumbai Unit of NCB, Sameer Wankhede said that, on the basis of specific information a team of NCB Mumbai had recovered and seized 700 grams of off white coloured powder purported to be heroin under panchanama on November 01 at conference Hall, International Courier Terminal Sahar Cargo Complex, Mumbai from a Courier Parcel.

"During further follow-up action, statement of consignee of said parcel Krishna Murari Prasad, resident of Vadodara, Gujarat was recorded on Wednesday at Vadodara. For further investigation Krishna Murari Prasad was given a notice and was called at NCB Mumbai office on Thursday for further enquiry. It appears to be an international syndicate. We are trying to get more details about the person who had sent the consignment and to whom all it was meant to be distributed locally," Wankhede told Free Press Journal.

"A new route has come to light wherein heroin is smuggled from Afghanistan to South Africa and from there it comes to India by courier. Seized contraband is pure Afghan heroin. Main accused involved in the case is running the syndicate from South Africa," said an NCB source.