Gujarat Port Drug Smuggling Case

In April 2025, Indian authorities intercepted a massive heroin shipment at a Gujarat port. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized approximately 350 kilograms of high-purity heroin concealed in a container falsely declared as carrying industrial talc stone. Investigations traced the shipment to an Afghan-linked cartel and resulted in the arrest of Vikram Rathore, an Indian operative, alongside several foreign nationals. The syndicate exploited lax customs scrutiny and corruption, routing the cargo through Middle Eastern ports before its arrival in Gujarat. This operation exposed severe security lapses in India's port infrastructure and triggered a nationwide review of maritime cargo clearance protocols.

The special court convicted the key Indian operative under Section 21(c) of the NDPS Act for possession of commercial quantity, sentencing him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment. Afghan nationals received similar sentences, while the customs clearing agent was acquitted due to insufficient evidence of direct knowledge, though still faces departmental proceedings.

The defense challenged the admissibility of electronic surveillance evidence, arguing chain-of-custody violations. Questions also arose regarding the culpability of port authorities versus the direct criminal intent of the arrested operatives, particularly concerning allegations of insider facilitation and jurisdictional overlaps between DRI and NCB.

The seizure heightened public concern over India's coastal security, prompting parliamentary debates on port modernization. It exposed deep-rooted corruption in customs departments, leading to biometric verification mandates and stricter container scanning protocols across all major ports. Communities in Punjab became alert to new drug influx routes, while diplomatic tensions briefly rose with Afghanistan over tracking down cartel kingpins operating from Afghan soil.