Chidambaram questions Centre’s ‘silence’ over drug seizure

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Friday questioned the Central government’s silence on the drug seizure at Gujarat’s Mundra port last week. Chidambaram in a statement said, “The seizure of over 3000 kg of heroin is unprecedented and points to a major crime syndicate operating freely in India.

“The same accused are reported to have successfully ‘imported’ a large quantity in June 2021 and got away with it.”He said, “An ‘import’ of this magnitude could not be attempted by any one without official patronage at a high level. Why are the PM, HM and FM silent on the incident?”

Earlier in the week, the Congress said that over the last few years, the Gujarat coast has become the favourite route for smuggling drugs into India from Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan.

“Let us understand the chronology of events from the recent past. In July 2017 an Indian Coast Guard vessel had seized approximately 1,500 kgs of heroin valued at about Rs 3,500 crore from a merchant vessel off the coast of Gujarat. In January 2020, five Pakistani nationals on a fishing boat were apprehended mid-sea off the coast of Gujarat while they were attempting to smuggle drugs worth Rs 175 crore into the state and country.