This story is from May 1, 2016

Rs 2,000cr drug bust: Thane cops find Goan link, suspect sea route for trade

The Thane crime branch, investigating the ephedrine drug haul case, have now stumbled on Goan links and suspect that the raw ephedrine sourced from the company in Solapur was to be shipped to Kenya from Goa.
Rs 2,000cr drug bust: Thane cops find Goan link, suspect sea route for trade
Thane: The Thane crime branch, investigating the ephedrine drug haul case, have now stumbled on Goan links and suspect that the raw ephedrine sourced from the company in Solapur was to be shipped to Kenya from Goa. Following the seizure of over 20 tonne ephedrine, vauled at over Rs 2,000 crore, from the unit of Avon life sciences in Chincholi MIDC near Solapur, investigators are connecting dots to ascertain the trade route which was used to export the raw material into meth amphetamine or its products.

A police officer said according to various leads gathered from the investigations so far, Goa has been on the radar and this could be the possible trade route used by the accused to dispatch the consignment out of India to the African countries. “Previously, a consignment had been exported to drug baron Vicky Goswami from the company; director of the shipping company is still absconding while one employee has been arrested. All this points to possible trade via sea route,” said a police officer.
“Our team has already reached Goa and are probing minute details of the drug trail from Solapur to African countries and also piecing together evidence. They are expected to get a breakthrough soon,” said a senior police officer monitoring the investigation.
Investigators have even not ruled out that the drug was supplied at various parties on Goa beaches as demand for drugs among foreign tourists is abundant.
The police said presently some of its teams are on a hunt to track three fugitives — Jay Mukhi, Kishorsinh Rathod and Susheel Subraminiam.
Meanwhile, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has requested Thane police to interrogate those arrested in the case to get links of the drug cartel.
In another development, the probe further revealed that international drug baron, Vicky Goswami, was suspected to be financing the company and Rs 65 lakh has been given to the company so far, said a police officer, adding that they are verifying the revelation and trying to confirm whether it was routed through hawala or other channel.
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