MARITIME

15 September 2021: Mundra Port, India

Three tonnes of heroin was seized by Indian officials on 15 September. The heroin originated from Afghanistan and is estimated to be worth $2.72b. This comes one month after the Taliban reestablished rule over the country. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) reports they seized two containers at Mundra Port in the western state of Gujarat. An anonymous official said the DRI received a tip about the load. More than 2,988kg (6,590 pounds) of heroin was found and taken into custody. It is one of India’s biggest drug hauls. Two people were arrested. Reports say the containers had been imported by a company in Vijayawada, India. The cargo had been declared as “semi-processed talc stones from Afghanistan and had been shipped from Bandar Abbas Port in Iran to Mundra.” The heroin was hidden inside the containers of the talc. Eight people are being held in conjunction with the smuggling attempt.