ગુજરાતી
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First 3,000 kg, Then 115 kg of Drugs Seized
A History of Drug Seizures Worth ₹30,000 Crore
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, May 28, 2026
On May 26, 2026, in Mundra, Kutch—situated along the Kutch coastline—a racket operated by an international drug mafia was busted; this region has emerged as a prime gateway for narcotics trafficking. A massive consignment, transported from Brazil to India, was seized during the operation. The drug traffickers were attempting to transport 115 kg of cocaine—valued at ₹1,180 crore—to Delhi. The consignment had been concealed inside a bag aboard a vessel.
Satellite phones were also recovered from the scene. Three accused individuals, all Nigerian nationals, were arrested, while a fourth accused managed to evade capture by jumping into the sea. From the boat, a man named Juma Nasir Umar was arrested, along with two individuals from Delhi—Kelvin Chukwuma and Byaruhanga James—who were en route to take delivery of the drugs. The narcotics had been sourced from Brazil, and the plan involved transferring the consignment from a large cargo ship to a smaller boat.
Several incidents involving the unloading of large quantities of drugs at the Adani-operated Mundra Port have come to light.
₹7,303 Crore in One Year
In 2024, narcotic and psychotropic drugs worth ₹7,303 crore were seized across Gujarat. It is often claimed that no specific shipment of heroin or cocaine was ever *intended* for Gujarat; however, the consumption of high-profile narcotics—such as heroin and cocaine—is, in fact, on the rise within the state. Gujarat’s extensive coastline and its major ports render it an attractive transit hub for drug traffickers.
Over Two Years
During the two-year period leading up to February 2026, drugs totaling ₹3,727 crore in value were seized across the entire state. These seizures were linked to a total of 1,647 registered criminal cases. 41,000 kg of narcotics were seized.
In Jamnagar and Kutch, 306 accused individuals were arrested following the registration of 135 criminal cases.
One year ago, drugs worth ₹1,800 crore were seized off the coast of Gujarat. The sailors had fled after dumping the drugs into the sea.
**The ‘Drug Port’**
Since 2021, Gujarat’s Mundra Port has been a subject of nationwide discussion regarding drug trafficking. According to a response provided by the Central Government, 3,114 kg of drugs were seized across four major operations conducted at Mundra.
**September 2021** – 2,988 kg of heroin, valued at ₹21,000 crore, was seized. This constituted one of India’s largest drug seizure cases, the proceeds of which were intended for terrorist funding. The consignment was smuggled from Afghanistan via Iran, concealed within a shipment of talc stones.
**February 2026** – Captagon: 200 kg of this ‘Jihadi drug,’ valued at ₹182 crore, was seized.
**April 2026** – 6.32 kg of methamphetamine, valued at ₹6.3 crore, was seized.
**May 2026** – In a maritime operation, 115 kg of cocaine—valued at ₹1,150 crore—was seized.
**2025–26** – From a container bound for the UK, 18.47 lakh psychiatric pills (including Alprazolam, Tramadol, etc.) and 528 kg of other substances—collectively valued at ₹9 crore—were seized.
**Major Drug Crimes in Gujarat (2025)**
20,823 kg of synthetic drugs, valued at ₹2,240 crore, were seized. A total of 1,090 cases were registered under the NDPS Act.
1,537 individuals were arrested. Over 300 kg of a Naphthamine-type narcotic, valued at ₹1,800 crore, was seized from the sea.
500 kg of Tramadol, valued at ₹1,800 crore, was seized. Drugs worth ₹50 crore were seized in Dholka, Ahmedabad.
Liquid Tramadol API worth ₹31 crore was seized from Dahej in Bharuch.
In connection with an illegal Alprazolam manufacturing facility in Khambhat, Anand, a psychotropic drug network worth ₹107 crore was uncovered.
The primary drugs abused in Gujarat included Tramadol, Methamphetamine, Mephedrone (MD), Codeine syrup, Alprazolam, Heroin, Hashish, and Ganja.
According to a response provided by the Central Government as of January 2025, 1,613 kg of Codeine, 2,145 kg of poppy powder, 108 kg of tablets, and 1,400 bottles of Codeine-based cough syrup (CBCS) were seized.
Mundra
Prior to this, drugs worth ₹200 crore were seized from the Mundra area of Kutch.
Vapi
On May 26, 2026, 2.377 kg of Mephedrone (MD)—valued at over ₹71 lakh—was seized from the warehouse of AK Steel Suppliers (Scrap Dealers) in Kunta village, near Vapi in Valsad.
Equipment used for the manufacturing and processing of drugs was discovered at the site. The process of drying liquid-form Mephedrone was underway at the time. Chemicals and other materials used in drug production, along with five mobile phones and three weighing scales, were seized.
Two accused individuals—Mehul Makwana and Abdul Kalam Khan—were apprehended. Of the arrested individuals, one hailed from Daman and the other from Vapi. 2024
In 2024, Gujarat seized narcotic and psychotropic drugs worth ₹7,303 crore. The shadow of drug abuse looms over Gujarat’s borders.
The domestic sale of Mephedrone has surged in Gujarat. A total of 1,882 kg of Mephedrone was seized across three major cases spanning three states—Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. According to data from the Gujarat Police, a total of 24,000 kg of drugs were seized. Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 582 cases were registered against 848 individuals. (Google Translation from Gujarati; refer to the original report.) 
