AHMEDABAD: In a significant drug bust, authorities in Gujarat’s Kutch district have recovered 12 kg of cocaine worth Rs 120 crore from a creek near Gandhidham town, police reported Monday. Ten unclaimed packets containing the contraband were found during the operation.According to Kutch-East division Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar, an initial investigation suggests that smugglers may have stashed the drugs near the creek to evade capture. This marks the third major narcotics seizure from the same area within a year, he added.Gujarat, home to the country’s longest coastline stretching 1,600 km, has seen a troubling trend of drug-laden packets washing up along its shores, particularly in the Kutch district. Over the past few years, unclaimed drug consignments have been routinely recovered by security agencies during maritime patrols.In the latest incident, 12 kg of drugs were discovered in an unclaimed state near Khari Rohar in Gandhidham, raising serious concerns once again about the region’s vulnerability to drug smuggling operations. Kutch-East division Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar briefed local media, stating, “Based on specific intelligence received last night, Gandhidham B division police swiftly acted and reached the inaccessible coastal area near Khari Rohar. There, they successfully seized 12 kg of drugs.”He further added, “The estimated value of the recovered drugs stands at Rs 120 crore. The police have initiated the process of sending samples of the seized packets for further verification.”Police sources revealed that the B Division officers are actively investigating several key questions surrounding the drug haul, including how the narcotics packets ended up in the area and how long they had been lying there undetected.Notably, one of the packets was found marked with the words “BLOW UP” written in English, adding another layer of intrigue to the investigation. Just four months ago, the Kutch district witnessed a major crackdown on drug smuggling, as security agencies seized nearly 150 illegal drug packets from various locations within a span of just 12 days. This series of busts highlights the ongoing challenge of narcotics trafficking in the region.In June of this year, a joint operation by the Anti-Terrorist Squad and local police led to the recovery of 13 unclaimed packets of cocaine from the same area. In a similar operation last September, Kutch-East police seized 80 packets of cocaine, each weighing one kilogram and collectively worth Rs 800 crore, from the same creek region, highlighting the area’s persistent involvement in large-scale drug trafficking.
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