Mumbai: Dawood Ibrahim's gang is recruiting local criminals from neighbouring states such as Gujarat to smuggle drugs into Mumbai, investigations by the Mumbai police suggest.
Hardcore criminals from border districts of Kutch in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Kashmir are under the scanner of the Mumbai police, said Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Himanshu Roy.
According to Roy, the gangs are using recruits from border towns to smuggle drugs into the city. And the seizures made so far in this direction could be just the tip of the iceberg.
Investigations carried out by MiD DAY indicated that some of the dhows, plying along the African and Arabian coasts, are often used for ferrying narcotics. And in most cases, vessels carrying livestock are used for the purpose.
Naval route
These dhows usually carry huge consignments of goats and sheep to Dubai and a few other Arab countries.
On their return journey, they drop anchor at a few ports in Iran and Pakistan and often load consignments of drugs in the pretext of refuelling with cheap high-speed diesel.
The vessels usually return with a few dead animals onboard. Consignments of high-quality brown sugar and heroin are often stashed into the rib cage of some of the carcasses.
The dhows, which reek of rotten carcasses and animal excreta, is rarely checked when they enter Indian waters. Some of the ports in Kutch are barely a few hours voyage from some Pakistani ports.
The dhow usually slips into the estuary and berths along one of the 15 nondescript ports that dot the Kutch coast.
The local mafia, who are now working in tandem with the D gang, control villages in and around these ports. According to eyewitnesses, the carcasses are carried to a secluded place and the packets removed.
If a low quality brown sugar is sold for around Rs 4 lakh per kg, high quality Pakistani heroin fetches around Rs 10 lakh per kg.
A survey conducted by MiD DAY revealed that there are hardly any checks along the high seas. Nor are there many anti-narcotics and customs officials posted at the ports that dot the picturesque coastline.
According to sources, Santalia gang is considered one of the main drug smugglers along the Jamnagar-Kutch coasts.
Gangster Dawood Ibrahim's aide Dawood Khan alias Chhota Dawood is identified as the key operator from across the border.
The drug peddlers adulterate high quality brown sugar and heroin with boric powder and other impurities to make quick money. The hirelings are paid around Rs 10,000 per consignment, which could weigh up to 5 kg.
Ek Cutting! Saaman Aya
Brown sugar is called khaki, kapda, shirt, saaman because of its brown colour.
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