NIA court acquits seven in 2019 Gujarat heroin case, cites gaps in recovery
A special NIA court in Ahmedabad acquitted six Pakistani fishermen and one Indian fisherman of heroin smuggling charges due to lack of evidence on the recovery of 217.856 kg of heroin.
The six Pakistani nationals were convicted under the Foreigners Act and the Passport (Entry into India) Rules for entering India without valid documents and sentenced to eight years' rigorous imprisonment.
The case originated from the interception of the Pakistani fishing boat Al-Madina by the Indian Coast Guard near Jakhau on the Gujarat coast in May 2019.
The prosecution alleged the crew threw 330 packets of narcotics into the sea, but only 194 packets in seven bags were recovered; forensic tests identified the substance as brown heroin.
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Hindustan Times
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