ATS seizes Rs 25 crore meth near Rajasthan border, Pakistan link emerges

JAISALMER: ATS arrested two men with meth worth Rs 25 crore near the Barmer border, with probes showing the drugs were smuggled from Pakistan and buried inside India.
During the interrogation of the accused smugglers, who are in the custody of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) till April 13, several key details have come to light. The accused said the drugs were brought across the border by a Pakistani smuggler identified as Masat. He allegedly crossed the border fence, evaded the security system, and entered Indian territory. Around 150 metres inside the fencing, he buried the drugs in the sand after marking the location.

He later shared the exact location with an Indian associate, Salman, asking him to retrieve the consignment. The incident has raised serious concerns, as no Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were reportedly present at the spot during the infiltration, and the intruder was neither detected nor stopped.

Another aspect under scrutiny is the reported deployment of a large number of BSF companies from Rajasthan for election duties in states such as West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. As a result, fewer personnel are currently stationed along the international border, forcing those present to patrol larger stretches, which may have created opportunities for smugglers.

According to ATS sources, the case relates to a joint operation by police and ATS last week, in which two smugglers were arrested with crystal meth worth Rs 25 crore while transporting it to Gujarat. During questioning, the accused revealed that after retrieving the 5 kg consignment buried near the border fence, they were instructed by the Pakistani handler to send a video as proof of receipt.

As per the FIR registered at Sadar Police Station, the arrested Indian smuggler Salman Khan said the Pakistani smuggler Masat, a resident of Niblo in Tharparkar district, buried the drugs on April 1 between Talab Ka Par and Banne Ki Basti posts along the international border. ATS later verified the location with the accused.

Salman allegedly received the 5 kg consignment, recorded a video, and sent it to Masat. The drugs were then to be delivered in Gujarat to a person identified as Munna Bhai alias Deepu Chaudhary. For transportation, Salman was accompanied by Shankarram, the driver of an Eco vehicle registered in Gujarat to avoid suspicion.

Investigations further revealed that the main accused had earlier succeeded in delivering drug consignments, which led to him being entrusted with a larger shipment this time. Salman and his associate Shankarram, both residents of Sajjan Ka Par (Ramsar), are being questioned in detail.

Police said that around three months ago, between December and January, Salman had delivered two packets of drugs to the Myajlar area in Jaisalmer, for which he received Rs 34,000. Following that, Pakistani smugglers reportedly gained trust in him and assigned him the task of transporting a larger consignment of 5 kg methamphetamine.

For delivering the drugs to Gujarat, he was promised Rs 1 lakh per packet, amounting to Rs 5 lakh in total. He was given an advance of Rs 60,000, with the remaining payment to be made after successful delivery. He was also allegedly lured with promises of further earnings through continued association with the network.

The investigation has been handed over to ATS ASP Durg Singh Rajpurohit, who visited the border area with the accused to verify the site and understand the smuggling route and method. ATS is now working to identify other members of the network and uncover the wider cross-border drug trafficking operation.

ATS SP Gyan Chand Yadav said the investigation is ongoing and evidence is being collected. He added that since the accused had previously succeeded in smuggling operations, the entire network is being thoroughly examined.

He confirmed that the Pakistani smuggler had infiltrated around 150 metres inside the border fencing to bury the drugs. Both accused remain in ATS custody till April 13, and further questioning is underway. Additional suspects are also being examined as part of the investigation.

Get real-time updates and result insights on Assam HSLC 10th result.