A quiet residential pocket on the outskirts of Surat turned into the centre of a major anti-narcotics operation after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized drugs and other assets valued at more than Rs. 45 crore during a late-night raid.
Media reports quoted officials saying that the operation unfolded around midnight at Dastan Residency, located near Dastan village in Palsana taluka.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, an NCB team from Bengaluru began tracking a Toyota Fortuner with a Karnataka registration number, suspected to be ferrying a large consignment of narcotics across states. The vehicle was believed to have travelled from Bengaluru through Maharashtra before entering Gujarat, media reports said.
NCB officers discreetly tailed the SUV as it moved towards Surat district. For a brief period, the vehicle slipped out of sight after reaching Dastan village, raising concerns that the consignment might be unloaded or moved.
Anticipating the need for local support, the NCB alerted Surat City Police and then coordinated with the Surat district police, as the location fell under their jurisdiction, reports further said.
The Fortuner was eventually located parked near a residential building within the Dastan Residency complex. Rather than acting immediately, the officers decided to maintain surveillance through the night, keeping a close watch on the vehicle and its surroundings to avoid tipping off the suspects.
In the early hours of the morning, the wait paid off. When a man was seen approaching the SUV and opening it to remove packages suspected to contain narcotics and other items, the NCB team swiftly moved in and detained him. The operation then extended into the nearby residence linked to the vehicle, where officers found another man and a young woman.
A detailed search of the vehicle and the premises led to the recovery of a substantial quantity of illegal substances. Officials said the seizure included approximately 35 to 38 kilograms of MD drugs, with 20 to 25 kilograms in powder form and another 12 to 13 kilograms in liquid form. In addition, around 1.5 kilograms of opium and quantities of charas were recovered.
The raid also yielded Rs. 25 lakh in cash and several newly purchased mobile phones valued at about Rs. 4 lakh. With the inclusion of cash and electronic items, the total value of the seizure has been pegged at over Rs. 45 crore, while the narcotics alone are estimated to be worth around Rs. 40 crore.
Preliminary investigations have indicated possible links between the arrested individuals and the Bishnoi gang, officials said, adding that further interrogation is under way to establish the full extent of the network and the intended destination of the drugs.
The NCB has described the operation as a significant blow to inter-state drug trafficking networks and said more arrests could follow as the investigation progresses.
Also Read: Drugs Seized In Gujarat, No Trace Of Kingpins https://www.vibesofindia.com/drugs-seized-in-gujarat-no-trace-of-kingpins/
