The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has alleged a “Taliban-Tadepalli nexus” after it emerged that the huge heroin consignment seized at Mundra port last week was imported by a firm registered with a Vijayawada address.
The contraband, shipped in the guise of talcum powder, was reportedly from Afghanistan and is estimated to be worth about Rs 9,000 crore. It was seized at the Gujarat port on September 15, by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence sleuths.
Tadepalli, an area adjacent to Vijayawada, is the location of the camp-office from where Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy functions.
“This is the biggest heroin capture. Some reports state that already heroin worth about Rs 72,000 crore reached the state over the last two years, in 22 containers. This is not a small issue and we suspect the involvement of some big heads. Such operations could have been carried out only with the help of some police officers, and other persons in the government,” alleged Dhulipalla Narendra, a senior TDP leader, speaking to reporters on Monday at Amaravati.
“Where is this heroin going from Vijayawada, and who has profited from this? Who is the big-boss behind? The Taliban to Tadepalli links should be probed (by the Centre),” the former TDP legislator said.
While the opposition party made the grave allegations and some news reports claimed that the illegal consignment was meant for transport to Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada police commissioner B Srinivasulu stated that the “smuggled heroin was intended to reach Delhi, not Vijayawada.”
The Aashi trading company has its registered address located in Satyanarayanapuram in the city.
Police said that the firm’s proprietors – a wife and husband duo - Govindaraju Durga Purna Vaishali and Machavaram Sudhakar have been residing in Chennai for the past many years.
“On verification with the concerned investigation agencies, it is learnt that Vaishali, a Chennai resident, took the GST registration in August 2020, on the address at Door No 23-14-16, Satyanarayanapuram, Gadiyaramvari Street, Vijayawada.
Sudhakar, also residing in Chennai, is the husband of Vaishali. The building is owned by Govindaraju Taraka, Vaishali’s mother. Vaishali took the import and export license from the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT),” the commissioner said in a press release on Monday.
The central investigating agencies have conducted searches in Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Chennai among other places in connection with the contraband.
“So far no activity except using the Vijayawada house address for obtaining the above licenses has come to our notice. However, further inquiries are on,” the commissioner said.
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