Kochi: The investigation of the seized ₹25,000 crores drugs in Kochi is expanding. The NIA have collected information regarding it and the NIA will probe the involvement of the infamous Pakistan based Haji Salim cartel. Meanwhile, the Navy and NCB intensified their search for the escaped drug smugglers.
The Haji Salim cartel was under the scanner of NIA for some time now. As per reports the drug smuggling by Haji Salim cartel is targeted to increase terror activities against India and Sri Lanka.
Last year, Gujarat ATS arrested six members of this cartel and one was the son of the leader, Haji Hassan. Upon further interrogation NIA received more information regarding the activities of the cartel.
National Intelligence Bureau said that they have observed that a group with the support of Afghan based Taliban terrorists and Pakistan based ISI was the reason for internal crisis in Sri Lanka. The smuggling of drugs and weapons were done by sleeper cells with the use of fishing boats. It is indicated that the NIA had received information that terrorist organisations had planned such a move through the coast of Kerala. The drug hunt in Kochi was done on the basis of information received from Gujarat ATS and Central Intelligence.
The drugs currently seized by the NIA are found to be manufactured in Jiwani province of Balochistan, Pakistan. During the interrogation, the arrested Pakistani citizen said that including him there were six more people in the mother ship and that they had smuggled drugs for Haji Salim cartel many times before this.
The others suspects are believed to have gone into hiding at the uninhabited islands in Lakshadweep. On the basis of this the Navy and NCB are conducting aerial searches in that area.
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