Crime Branch Strikes Drug Network Spanning Three States
In a coordinated operation across Ahmedabad, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested seven individuals belonging to a structured drug trafficking ring that had been supplying methamphetamine (MD) and heroin to markets in western Gujarat for over 18 months.
The Operation
The arrests were made following a three-month intelligence-gathering operation during which Crime Branch officers tracked supply chain movements using a combination of informant networks, mobile phone surveillance conducted under judicial authorisation, and financial transaction monitoring.
The operation culminated in simultaneous raids at six locations across Ahmedabad city on the night of July 2, with additional coordinated action by Rajasthan Police in Jodhpur — where the primary supplier of the drug consignments was arrested from his residence.
Seizures
Officers seized a total of 18.4 kilograms of contraband material — 11.2 kilograms of methamphetamine and 7.2 kilograms of heroin — along with cash totalling ₹3.6 lakh, four mobile phones containing communication records, and two vehicles used in transportation. The market value of the seized narcotics was estimated by Crime Branch officers at approximately ₹22 crore.
Supply Chain Dismantled
The investigation revealed that the network operated through a hub-and-spoke model, with the Rajasthan supplier receiving consignments from contacts in Punjab — reportedly connected to Pakistan-sourced heroin routes — and routing the material through smaller Ahmedabad-based distributors to street-level peddlers. The Crime Branch confirmed that further arrests are anticipated as the investigation expands.