Six Pakistani Nationals Get 20-Year Jail Term In Rs 384 Crore Heroin Smuggling Case

A special court in Bhuj in Gujarat’s Kutch district has sentenced six Pakistani nationals to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to smuggle heroin worth Rs 384.68 crore into India through the Arabian Sea.

The verdict was delivered by the Sixth Additional Sessions and Special NDPS Court in Bhuj after a trial linked to one of the largest drug seizures off the Gujarat coast in recent years. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on each of the convicts .

The case dates back to December 2021 , when the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) received specific intelligence from Deputy Superintendent of Police Bhavesh Rojiya about a Pakistani vessel transporting a large consignment of heroin from Karachi.

Acting on the input, the ATS and the Indian Coast Guard launched a joint surveillance operation between December 18 and 20 in the Arabian Sea. During the operation, radar detected a suspicious boat at around 2:30 am on December 20 , roughly 35 nautical miles off the Jakhau coast in Kutch.

Security personnel intercepted the Pakistani fishing vessel ‘Al Huseini’ and found six men on board. A search of the boat led to the recovery of five sacks containing 76.936 kg of heroin , which investigators estimated to be worth Rs 384.68 crore in the international market .

Following the seizure, a complaint was lodged by ATS Police Inspector M.C. Nayak , and a case was registered under Sections 8(c), 22(c), 25 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act . The investigation was conducted by Police Sub-Inspector R.R. Rathod .

During the trial, the prosecution—represented by Chief District Government Pleader H.B. Jadeja —presented 203 documentary pieces of evidence and examined 13 witnesses to establish the charges against the accused.

After examining the evidence, the court found all six accused guilty, observing that the smuggling attempt was part of a deliberate effort targeting India’s youth through narcotics trafficking , which could pose a serious threat to the country’s social fabric and internal security .

The convicted men, all residents of Karachi, were identified as Mohammad Imran Mohammad Tariq Vaghera (31), Danish Mohammad Husen Kachchi Vaghera (24), Sagar Mohammad Kachchi Vaghera (23), Ismail Ibrahim Badala, Mohammad Sajid Mohammad Husen Yakublala Kungra (24), and Ashfaq Mohammad Ishaq Vaghera (26).