New Delhi: The Delhi Police Special Cell Thursday arrested a suspended Manipur Police constable, Mohammed Kashim Ali, accused of being the kingpin of an interstate drug cartel, from Churachandpur district. Ali allegedly supplied high grade heroin worth crores of rupees in the international market.
Incidentally, Churachandpur, situated near the Myanmar border, was in the headlines earlier this month after militants ambushed an Assam Rifles convoy, killing seven people — 46 Assam Rifles Commanding Officer Col. Viplav Tripathi, his wife, son, and four other soldiers.
Ali’s role in the drug racket was under the scanner since July, after two members of his alleged cartel, Iqbal Khan and Mohammed Ishaq, were arrested. A huge consignment of 10 kg heroin worth Rs 40 crore in the international market had been seized from the two in the national capital.
“He (Ali) was responsible for the flow of heroin consignments from Manipur to Guwahati, Siliguri, Darjeeling and Malda, to other parts of the country via West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR by hiding them in secret cavities of vehicles specifically designed for heroin trafficking,” Ranjan Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell said.
“Ali was taken by the cell in transit remand from Manipur and was produced in court Friday. He will be in police custody for 10 days,” Singh said.
‘Proclaimed offender’
According to the Special Cell, the 42-year-old Ali had been declared a “proclaimed offender” after the alleged members of the racket were arrested. A reward of Rs 1 lakh was offered for his arrest.
After getting intelligence inputs, a team of Delhi Police was stationed in Manipur to arrest Ali. “We received information that Ali would come back from the Myanmar border through Churachandpur. Accordingly, a raiding party was constituted and a trap was laid at the place of information and he was apprehended,” the DCP said.
“During initial questioning, he accepted that he had supplied the recovered 10 kg heroin consignment for further supply of the same to one Najim in Delhi and one other contact in Malda, West Bengal,” the DCP claimed.
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Secret car cavities
According to the Delhi Police, Ali took to running the drug racket after he was placed under suspension by the Manipur Police following his arrest in a murder case.
A senior Manipur Police officer confirmed Ali’s suspension to ThePrint on the condition of anonymity.
Due to financial difficulties after his suspension, Ali started to deal in heroin and sent large supplies across the country. “He has been running the cartel for a year,” DCP Singh said.
“He paid Rs 1 lakh to Iqbal and Ishaq for each trip — transportation of the heroin from Manipur to Delhi, West Bengal, UP. Being in the police department, he had knowledge on how to avoid detection even at police check posts. He strategically planted the contraband in secret cavities in cars,” he said.
“Earlier, when Iqbal and Ishaq were arrested, a total of 15 kg heroin was sent. Five kg delivered in Bareilly and 10 kg was seized from them. Ali went into hiding after their arrest,” Singh added.
(Edited by Amit Upadhyaya)
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