The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in a heroin smuggling case. The case involves the seizure of approximately 39 kg of heroin by the Gujarat Police. The NIA filed a supplementary charge sheet in a special court, including sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to criminal conspiracy, causing disappearance of evidence, forgery, and fraud, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The case was initially registered by the Ahmedabad Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on September 15, 2022, but the NIA took over the investigation on August 20, 2023, keeping it open. Last year, the Gujarat ATS, in a joint operation with the Indian Coast Guard, intercepted a Pakistani fishing boat named ‘Al Tayyasa’ near Jakhau harbour in Kutch district and seized 40 kg of heroin valued at over Rs 200 crore. Six Pakistani nationals on board the boat were arrested.
Further investigations revealed that the heroin consignment was intended for transportation to northern states like Delhi and Punjab by road with the assistance of two Delhi residents, Sartaj Malik and Jaggi Singh alias Virpal Singh, who were supposed to receive the contraband. They were later arrested. Interrogation of the accused disclosed that drug traffickers Meeraz Rehmani and Ani Chief Obinna, a Nigerian, were running the racket from jail. Rehmani was incarcerated in Kapurthala jail, and Obinna was in Amritsar jail, allegedly working at the behest of Lawrence Bishnoi.
