Ahmedabad, Oct 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) The alleged mastermind in the seizure of drugs worth Rs 25.65 crore was shot in the leg by Ahmedabad Crime Branch personnel on Monday evening after he allegedly attempted to escape and snatch a police officer’s revolver while being taken for a medical check-up near the Sabarmati Riverfront.
The accused, Kafeel Ahmed alias Javed, was being escorted by a Crime Branch team led by Sub-Inspector Raval when the incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m., Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sharad Singhal told IANS.
The officer also sustained an injury to his hand during the scuffle.
“The accused was trying to escape, and the police fired,” Singhal said, adding that Ahmed had allegedly struggled with the police personnel and attempted to snatch the sub-inspector’s revolver. The bullet struck Ahmed’s leg.
An official told IANS, "Ahmed had complained of chest pain and nausea before being taken for a medical examination. The bullet had been removed. Both Ahmed and the sub-inspector were receiving treatment."
Ahmed is among three men arrested in a joint operation by the Ahmedabad and Surat Crime Branches on October 21, in which police seized around 4.5 kg of heroin and 2.5 kg of mephedrone, or MD, from a Mahindra XUV near the Ramol toll plaza on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway.
The drugs were valued at Rs 25.65 crore at international market rates. According to the police, the accused were travelling with the drugs concealed in packets of instant drinks and raisins.
The other two arrested men were identified as Tifle Naukhez, 44, and Mohammed Imran alias Raja, 42. "The three were in police remand following their arrest, and were being taken for routine medical examinations," Singhal said.
Ahmed was being escorted alone by Sub-Inspector Raval and other Crime Branch personnel when the escape attempt allegedly took place. Police had described Ahmed, 59, as the alleged mastermind of an interstate drug network.
According to the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, he has a history of narcotics cases, including convictions in cases involving charas, alprazolam and amphetamine.
Officials said the combined sentences in those cases amounted to 45 years, and that he had been released on bail. The original seizure followed an investigation by the Surat Crime Branch that began with an earlier drug case around a year and a half ago.
Ahmedabad and Surat teams subsequently coordinated their intelligence and tracked the alleged network before intercepting the vehicle.
Police have alleged that the network sourced heroin through a contact in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and obtained mephedrone from Rajasthan.
Investigators suspect the consignment was intended for distribution at several locations in Gujarat as the accused sought to revive their local supply links.
The police are also examining the wider interstate network, including the alleged suppliers and intended recipients of the drugs.
Source: IANS
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