Heroin network plan believed to be hatched in Delhi's Tihar jail, ISI role suspected

It was in this prison that two key figures — arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) after the seizure of 191 kg of the stuff at Nhava Sheva Port in Mumbai on August 9 — had first met, reports The Hindu.

Suresh Bhatia and Mohammed Nauman were part of the syndicate that had already pushed three consignments using the same modus operandi, according to the enforcement agencies which are also probing the suspected links of Nauman with some ISI-backed elements in Pakistan, the newspaper reported.

“Nauman runs a non-government organisation named Jai Hind Sewa Kendra, based in Delhi’s Yojana Vihar, which provides legal help to the Pakistan nationals lodged in Indian jails and assists them in deportation. The NGO has been receiving foreign funds despite the fact that it is not registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act for the purpose,” an official told The Hindu.

The agencies reportedly found that Nauman was married to a woman from Pakistan in 2007.

The woman also got an Indian citizenship recently.

“We are verifying if it was an ISI-sponsored arrangement to maintain cover,” the official told the Indian newspaper.

According to media reports, Bhatia was serving a sentence for offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Nauman was in prison in connection with a fraud case when they came in contact with each other a few years ago. 

“Bhatia later came out on parole and was on an extended parole, while Nauman was released after he served four years of jail term,” the official told The Hindu.

Mahendra Nigam, another person, who was arrested by the DRI in Delhi, was also lodged in the jail during the same period.

Initial reports suggest that the main accused persons had hired a godown from Nigam to store the consignments.

Two Customs house agents, Meenanath Bodake and Kondibhau Gunjal, were earlier arrested in Mumbai in the same case, reports The Hindu.

“The latest consignment was brought from Gwadar in Pakistan to Mumbai via Chabahar in Iran to evade detection. The cargo was declared to be of an Ayurvedic product, mulethi (licorice). The drugs was concealed in plastic pipes painted to resemble bamboo. This was the fourth consignments that reached the Jawaharlal Nehru Port [also known as Nhava Sheva],” the official told the newspaper.

Based on recent detections, the agencies believe that Pakistan-based syndicates are smuggling heroin into India mostly by sea, using dhows and also under the guise of imports. A probe into the “hawala” network used to channel funds is also under way, the newspaper reported.