Police seize 208 kg of cocaine worth Rs 2,080 crore from west Delhi, second big haul in a week
New Delhi, Oct 10: In the second big drug haul in a week, Delhi Police has seized 208 kg of cocaine worth Rs 2,080 crore from a rented shop in west Delhi, an official said on Thursday evening.
The drugs were hidden inside plastic packets of snacks with 'Tasty Treat' and 'Chatpata Mixture' written on them. About 20-25 such packets kept in cartons were recovered from a small narrow shop in west Delhi's Ramesh Nagar area, the official said.
The seizure is linked to an earlier recovery of 562 kg of drugs worth over Rs 5,000 crore from southwest Delhi's Mahipalpur, he said.
He further said the recovered seizure weighs around 208 kg, which is worth Rs 2,080 crore in international market.
Official sources said the consignment was kept there by an Indian origin UK citizen who is now on the run.
"We got a tip off during investigations of our previous seizure and arrest. On Thursday evening, a team of the Special Cell was sent to the shop and recovered the consignment," a police officer said.
The UK citizen, who is identified by the police, managed to escape before the arrival of the team. He had taken the shop on rent a few days ago, the officer said, adding two people including the owner of the shop have been detained and questioned.
The owner told the police that the shop was taken on rent for business related to garments, the officer said.
It is suspected that the UK citizen wanted to transport the drug consignment to other parts of the country but he fled after the police's previous seizure, he said.
The Special Cell, on October 2, had seized over 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana estimated to be worth Rs 5,620 crore from a godown in Mahipalpur in south Delhi and arrested four people. Two more persons were subsequently apprehended from Amritsar and Chennai.
Earlier in the day, the Special Cell arrested a man identified as Akhlak, a native of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. This was the seventh person to be arrested in the case.
The police sources said the syndicate was allegedly run by a Dubai-based businessman Virender Basoya. He was allegedly running the racket with the help of Tushar Goyal and Jitender Gill alias Jassi, both arrested by the police, they said.
The police have also issued a look out circular (LOC) against Basoya, who is on the run. The police suspect that Basoya is a part of an international syndicate which has given different works to different people.
Majority of syndicate members do not know each other and they were operating on the basis of code names on social media, the police sources said.
A senior police officer, who is privy to the investigations, said so far 700 kg of cocaine, worth over Rs 7,000 crore, has been recovered from the national capital so far.
The seizures are the part of same syndicate which which had brought consignment via sea route to Goa from South American countries.
It is suspected some more such consignments are kept or already transported to other destinations, the officer said.
He said the police teams are conducting raids at various parts of Delhi and NCR and trying to nab the other co-accused of the drug syndicate.
#WATCH | Delhi Police Special Cell has recovered a consignment of cocaine from a closed shop in Ramesh Nagar. About 200 kg of drugs have been recovered, whose value in the international market is more than Rs 2,000 crore. This drug was kept in packets of namkeen: Delhi Police… pic.twitter.com/B45xgz1Afp
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India could miss skipper Rohit Sharma for one Test in Australia
New Delhi, Oct 10: India could miss the services of skipper Rohit Sharma during one of the first two Test matches in Australia due to personal reasons which have communicated to the BCCI.
The Indian team will embark on tough five-Test series in Australia starting November 22 in Perth and there is a possibility that Rohit could give either the first or the second game in Adelaide (December 6-10) a miss.
"There isn't any complete clarity about the situation. It is understood that Rohit has intimated to the BCCI that there is a possibility that due to a pressing personal matter, he might have to skip one of the two Tests at the beginning of the series," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"In case, the personal issue is sorted before the start of the series, he might play all five Tests. We will get to know more in coming days," he said.
The 37-year-old Rohit played both the home Tests against Bangladesh. India will next host New Zealand for a three-Test rubber starting October 16.
In case Rohit misses a Test match in Australia, the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover although Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also players with enough experience in the opening slot.
Easwaran will also be in Australia with the India A team which he is supposed to lead.
However, there is no word who the vice-captain of the Test team will be as there was no official deputy for Rohit during the recent home series against Bangladesh.
"I think we need to understand that we have got a lot of IPL captains in this team. When you talk about the likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, hopefully a Yashasvi (Jaiswal) going forward.
"There are a lot of players who have led their franchises," Abhishek Nayar told the media on the eve of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur.
There are three candidates for the role -- Rohit's white ball deputy Gill, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has led India in a Test in England, and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant.
"I wouldn't look at them as youngsters anymore. Yes, they are youngsters in terms of age and the amount of cricket they have played. But, I think overall, mentally and in their development as a cricketer, I think they have the leadership qualities that are required. You don't need to have a vice-captain that should be designated," Nayar had stated when asked about the red-ball vice-captaincy.
"I think overall, the thought process of these youngsters is of a senior player. It's of someone who has played a lot of cricket."
