Gujarat Port Drug Smuggling Case

In March 2025, Indian law enforcement interdicted a major drug smuggling operation at Mundra Port, Gujarat. Following intelligence inputs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Gujarat ATS seized approximately 1,200 kilograms of high-purity heroin concealed within industrial talc stone shipments originating from Afghanistan via Iran. The investigation exposed a sophisticated transnational trafficking network employing shell companies to circumvent customs protocols. Key arrests included port logistics facilitators and financiers linked to international crime syndicates, while forensic accounting revealed significant money laundering through Mumbai-based import firms. The case highlighted systemic vulnerabilities in port screening mechanisms and triggered a comprehensive review of non-intrusive inspection technologies deployed across Indian maritime entry points.

As of mid-2026, the trial is ongoing in a special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court in Ahmedabad. Ten defendants remain in judicial custody, while extradition proceedings for two Iran-based operatives are pending. The court has upheld the prosecution's request for prolonged detention under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act provisions, citing the network's nexus with terrorism financing.

The primary dispute centered on whether port authorities and customs officials exhibited criminal negligence or complicity, as the contraband passed through multiple inspection layers. Additional contention arose over the admissibility of foreign digital evidence obtained through mutual legal assistance treaties, and whether the investigation compromised legitimate Afghan trade corridors under the Chabahar Agreement.

The seizure profoundly impacted India's coastal security doctrine, galvanizing the government to mandate 100% container scanning at all major ports. Public outcry over the scale of the breach prompted parliamentary debates on corruption within customs enforcement and led to the suspension of several Mundra Port officials. The incident also strained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, while deepening India’s collaboration with Quad partners on maritime narcotics interdiction training.