Ahmedabad drug bust: MD seizure rises to 701g, ₹70.11 lakh in courier racket probe
Synopsis
Ahmedabad's Crime Branch has cracked open a cross-state courier drug network, with total mephedrone seizures now at 701 grams worth ₹70.11 lakh. The accused was using ordinary courier shops in Bapunagar to ship MD as far as Bengaluru — exploiting the near-impossibility of scanning every parcel.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad Crime Branch recovered an additional 329.55 grams of mephedrone from the accused's rented room in Odhav on 27 June .
Total mephedrone seized in the case now stands at 701.10 grams , valued at ₹70.11 lakh .
Accused Asuram alias Ashokkumar Bhadu (Bishnoi) , 32 , from Balotra, Rajasthan , was arrested under Sections 8(c) , 22(c) , and 29 of the NDPS Act .
Drugs were allegedly routed through courier shops in Bapunagar , reaching cities including Bengaluru .
Total value of all seized property, including ₹35,000 cash and packaging materials, has reached ₹70.46 lakh .
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has recovered an additional 329.55 grams of mephedrone (MD) during the police remand of an accused in a courier-based drug trafficking case, pushing the total seizure in the investigation to 701.10 grams of the synthetic narcotic — valued at an estimated ₹70.11 lakh. The latest recovery was made from a rented room in the Odhav area of Ahmedabad on 27 June.
How the Fresh Recovery Unfolded
The accused, identified as Asuram alias Ashokkumar Bhadu (Bishnoi), 32, a native of Balotra district in Rajasthan, had earlier been arrested with 371.55 grams of mephedrone worth ₹37.15 lakh — a commercial quantity under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He was booked under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the Act.
During interrogation while in remand, the accused disclosed that he had been residing in a rented room at Yamuna Park Society in Adinath Nagar, near S.P. Ring Road in the Odhav area. Investigators conducted a search of the premises in the presence of two official panch witnesses, leading to the fresh seizure.
What Was Seized
Beyond the 329.55 grams of mephedrone valued at approximately ₹32.95 lakh, police also recovered ₹35,000 in cash and a range of materials allegedly connected to the trafficking operation. These included two digital weighing scales, 239 zip-lock bags, aluminium foil, envelopes, silver-coloured box-making cardboard, a notebook, a passbook, an ATM card, copies of identity documents, and other packaging materials. The combined value of all seized property in the case has reached ₹70.46 lakh, according to officials.
The Courier Network: How It Operated
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ajit Rajian said the drugs were being sourced from Rajasthan and routed through courier outlets in the Bapunagar area for distribution both within Gujarat and to other cities. 'From the Bapunagar area, through certain courier shops, they were sending drugs not only within Gujarat but also to other cities such as Bengaluru in small quantities via courier. They were exploiting the difficulty in checking every parcel,' Rajian said.
According to officials, the accused coordinated deliveries and customers through telephonic communication and messaging applications, operating on the assumption that courier-based movement would reduce the risk of interception. This method of concealing narcotics within ordinary parcels has emerged as a growing challenge for law enforcement agencies across India.
Investigation Status
The Crime Branch said the probe is continuing to establish the source of the narcotics, identify other members of the alleged trafficking network, and trace the intended distribution chain. The use of courier infrastructure to move controlled substances across state lines adds a logistical complexity that investigators say demands coordination beyond local policing.
Point of View
Once a niche club drug, has been steadily penetrating Tier-2 distribution networks across India, with Rajasthan emerging as a recurring source state. The cross-state reach — from Gujarat to Bengaluru via ordinary courier shops — points to a network that is operationally disciplined and difficult to intercept without dedicated parcel-intelligence sharing between states. The Crime Branch's remand-led recovery is effective policing, but the broader question of courier-sector accountability remains unaddressed.
NationPress
27 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total mephedrone seized in the Ahmedabad courier drug case?
The total mephedrone recovered in the case stands at 701.10 grams, valued at ₹70.11 lakh. This includes the initial 371.55 grams seized at the time of arrest and an additional 329.55 grams recovered from the accused's rented room in Odhav during police remand.
Who is the accused in the Ahmedabad mephedrone courier case?
The accused is Asuram alias Ashokkumar Bhadu (Bishnoi), 32, a native of Balotra district in Rajasthan. He was arrested under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act for possessing a commercial quantity of mephedrone.
How was the drug trafficking network operating?
According to officials, the accused sourced drugs from Rajasthan and used courier shops in Ahmedabad's Bapunagar area to dispatch small quantities to customers within Gujarat and in other cities, including Bengaluru. He coordinated deliveries through phone calls and messaging apps, relying on the difficulty of scanning every courier parcel to avoid detection.
What other items were seized along with the drugs?
Investigators recovered ₹35,000 in cash, two digital weighing scales, 239 zip-lock bags, aluminium foil, envelopes, packaging cardboard, a notebook, a passbook, an ATM card, and copies of identity documents — materials consistent with a distribution operation. The total value of all seized property is ₹70.46 lakh.
Is the investigation ongoing?
Yes, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch has confirmed that the probe is continuing. Investigators are working to establish the source of the narcotics, identify other accused persons in the network, and map the full distribution chain across states.
