The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), on specific information, raided a godown of a courier agency on Saturday night in Chakala, Andheri and seized 25 kg of banned narcotic substance Methaqualone valued at around '12 crore. The parcel was destined for London. The AIU officials have succeeded in apprehending two people in this connection from the western suburbs. According to AIU, they received an input from a reliable source that two cartons would be sent to London through courier on a flight scheduled on Saturday night. These cartons contain banned narcotics and that one member of the racket would deliver these two cartons at the courier agency’s Chakala-based godown. Following the inputs, a team of customs officials led by the assistant commissioner of customs (airport) Rishi Yadav, then raided the godown on Saturday after a man delivered two cartons at the godown. “We have found 25 kg of the narcotic Methaqualone in powder form, worth around '12 crore, packed in detergent packets. These packets were concealed between the biscuits and chocolate packets. The narcotic Methaqualone is banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985,” said Mr Yadav. “We nabbed the person and on his interrogation we learnt that his partner was hiding somewhere in Vile Parle. Our officers then arrested the second accused from there. Both the detainees are Mumbai residents. Their identities cannot be disclosed at this stage as investigation is underway. They will be arrested after their questioning is over,” Mr Yadav added. Sources said that one accused is identified as Arvindkumar Ramdeo Pandit. Interrogations of the accused revealed that they are part of a narcotics smuggling racket operating internationally. “We have managed to bust the India side of the racket and are now trying to squeeze out more information from the accused about their London counterparts,” Mr Yadav said. The police believes the racket has been operating for a long time and the second accused who was arrested from Vile Parle may spill the beans on other wanted accused as he is believed to be the main accused in the case. Both the accused are booked under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act. “During the probe custom officials learnt that the racket operates very systematically. They would take extra precautions and always send the contraband through different courier agencies. When we questioned the courier agency in this case, their officials told us that this is the first time accused party approached them for courier service,” another official said.
