Drugs Seizure: Court Grants 5 Days Custody Of Suspected Pak National To NCB

The Kochi court has recently sent an accused Zubair Derakhshandeh to the custody of the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB).

Zubair Derakhshandehs is only accused in drug seizure from the Arabian Sea. The court approved NCB’s remand for 5 days. NCB will produce him before the court on May 27.

NCB stated in the Court that, “The first statement was made by Zubair that he was from Pakistan’s Balochistan province. It is to be ascertained through the investigation whether the accused was apprehended from the Indian sea border. Where the accused was apprehended is only relevant when the charge sheet is filed. Information related to the accused should be found.”

Derakshandeh was arrested with 2,525 kg of high-purity methamphetamine drug worth ₹25,000 crore. The operation was done by NCB and Indian Navy together under ‘Operation Samudragupta’.

Earlier the remand report in the case of drug seizure revealed the involvement of a Pakistani drug trafficker.

The report submitted that the accused gave a voluntary statement that he did this drug trafficking work for a Pakistani drug trafficker who promised him to offer a good amount of money after the completion of the work.

Further, the report submitted that “The accused informed that on May 10, 2023, he was traveling abroad in an unnamed vessel (with brown with blue and red stripes) in possession of a huge quantity of drugs and the Naval officers rummaged the vessel and recovered 132 bags containing drugs and also apprehended Zubair.”

Also, “Zubair informed us that the said drugs belong to one Pakistani drug smuggler. The Indian Navy officers handed over the 132 bags containing suspected contraband to us NCB officers.”