Crackdown on drug racket in Gujarat, one arrested

Himmatnagar (Gujarat): In an operation against narcotics trafficking, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) of the Gujarat Police carried out a well-coordinated raid targeting an illegal drug operation in the state's Sabarkantha district.

Acting on intelligence inputs, the SMC team raided the residence of Khursidkhan Sadatkhan Pathan in Sanjarnagar, Madani Society, in Himmatnagar city in the district.

The two-day raid, conducted under the provisions of the NDPS Act Sections 8(C), 22(C), 29 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act Sections 111(3) and 111(4), led to a major seizure of drugs and related materials. During the search, the team recovered 195.280 grams of Mephedrone, a banned synthetic stimulant, valued at Rs 19,52,800. In addition, the police seized two mobile phones worth Rs 10,000, Rs 79,280 in cash, two weighing scales valued at Rs 1,000, and 136 blank zipper bags used for packaging drugs.

The total value of seized muddamal stands at Rs 20,43,080. The raid was executed by Police Inspector (PI) C.B. Chaudhari and PSI V.K. Rathod of the State Monitoring Cell Police Station.

Two individuals were arrested during the operation. The primary accused, Khursidkhan Sadatkhan Pathan, is alleged to have stored and sold the Mephedrone from his residence. He has a previous criminal record, having been booked in 2007 at Sector 7 Police Station in Gandhinagar under IPC Sections 365 (kidnapping), 384 (extortion), and 403 (misappropriation of property). The second accused, Nomanmiya Sakirmiya Parmar, a resident of Kasba Vad in Harsol village, Talod taluka, Sabarkantha, was reportedly the buyer of the narcotic substances. He also has a history of criminal charges, including IPC Sections 504 and 506(2), for criminal intimidation, registered at Talod Police Station in 2021.

The SMC has also identified a third individual, Irfankhan Nisarkhan Pathan, as a wanted accused in the case. A resident of the same locality as Khursidkhan, Irfankhan is believed to have sourced the Mephedrone from Madhya Pradesh and supplied it to Khursidkhan for distribution. He is considered the key link in the supply chain. Irfankhan has a previous NDPS case registered at Himmatnagar A Division Police Station (Cr. No. 1751/2021), involving the seizure of 348.600 grams of Mephedrone valued at Rs 34.86 lakh.

He was released on bail six months ago in that case. Gujarat has emerged as a significant hub in India's battle against narcotics, with recent data highlighting a sharp increase in drug seizures and arrests. In 2024 alone, authorities confiscated narcotic and psychotropic substances valued at Rs 7,303 crore, with a substantial portion of these shipments originally intended for Punjab. However, the rising number of seizures within the state suggests a growing local consumption, particularly of synthetic drugs like mephedrone.

The state's strategic location, featuring a vast coastline and major ports, has made it a key transit point for drug trafficking. This has led to increased vigilance and operations by law enforcement agencies.

In a notable operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), seized 907 kg of mephedrone from a manufacturing facility in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Further emphasising the state's proactive measures, the Gujarat government has rewarded over Rs 11 crore to 970 informants over the past three years for assisting in drug-related apprehensions.