The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the Gujarat police in a joint operation have recovered nearly 90 kilogram of heroin worth Rs 450 crore from a shipping container that arrived at the Pipavav port in Gujarat from Iran, the state DGP said.

The drug syndicate had applied a novel modus operandi in which threads were soaked in a solution containing heroin, which were then dried, made into bales and packed in bags for export, said Gujarat Director General of Police Ashish Bhatia.

"The container, having large bags of threads, arrived at the Pipavav port from Iran nearly five months back. The heroin was discovered after a  forensic analysis of four suspicious bags having threads weighing nearly 395 kg,”  Mr Bhatia told reporters in Gandhinagar.

The DRI said these bags having heroin-soaked threads were shipped along with other bags having bales of normal threads to avoid detection by the authorities.

According to sources, large amounts of heroin from Afghanistan appears to be coming via the sea route from Iran ports as the cash-strapped Taliban regime is desperately looking for funds. 

In July last year two huge consignment of heroin from Afghanistan had come into Mumbai via the sea route from Iran. The drugs seized were valued at a whopping Rs 4,500 crore in the international market.

During investigations it has been found that large quantities of heroin concealed in bags and cartons were being smuggled from Afghanistan through Iran's Chabahar port into Mumbai via Jawahar Lal Nehru port.

The Delhi Police also seized the largest heroin haul ever when they discovered 354 kg of drugs worth more than ₹ 2,500 crore at a house in Faridabad.

Also read: 50 kg heroin seized in Delhi as NCB busts India-Afghanistan drug syndicate with Pakistan link