Drugs valued at Rs 250 crore were confiscated from Avsar Enterprise in the Ankleshwar GIDC area of Gujarat’s Bharuch district, according to officials. A joint operation by Surat and Bharuch Police uncovered141 grams of MD drugs worth Rs 14.10 lakh, with an additional 427 kilograms of suspected drugs sent for forensic testing.
Authorities arrested Vishal Patel, the director of Avsar Enterprise, along with two accomplices, while the company’s owner is reportedly overseas. This seizure is part of a broader effort by Gujarat Police, which has recently undertaken significant drug busts, including a prior operation that netted drugs worth Rs 5,000 crore from Aavkar Drugs Limited in Ankleshwar.
During an event honoring police martyrs, State Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi commended the Gujarat Police’s initiatives, describing them as a “war against drugs.” He noted the successful efforts of the Surat Police Crime Branch, which recently seized 2,100 grams of narcotics, leading to an expanded operation in Bharuch.
In a report released by the Election Commission (EC) in May 2024, it was revealed that Gujarat accounted for nearly one-third of the total narcotics seized in India. From March1 to May 18,2024, drug seizures in Gujarat reached Rs1,187.8 crore, representing around30% of the Rs 3,958.85 crore seized nationwide during that period. The EC attributed this increase to heightened vigilance and strong enforcement against drug trafficking, noting that ongoing monitoring and collaboration among enforcement agencies have contributed to the surge in seizures.