A drug trafficking network allegedly sourcing heroin from Kandahar, Afghanistan and using women and family members as cover for smaller deliveries was in the process of re-establishing its distribution chain in Gujarat when a joint police operation intercepted a vehicle on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway on 21 October 2025. The seizure — 4.531 kg of heroin and 2.498 kg of mephedrone (MD) — is valued at ₹25.65 crore in international markets.

The Seizure and Arrests

Ahmedabad and Surat Crime Branch teams intercepted a Mahindra XUV near the Ramol toll plaza on the expressway after months of coordinated surveillance. The contraband had been concealed inside packets of instant drinks and raisins. Three men were arrested at the scene: Kafeel Ahmed alias Javed, 59, and Tifle Naukhez, 44, both residents of South Delhi, and Mohammed Imran alias Raja, 42, of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, who also held a South Delhi address.

The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch placed the international market value of the seized drugs at ₹25,65,35,440. Including the vehicle and other items, the total estimated value of seized property was ₹25,71,99,340.

The Alleged Network: Kandahar to Gujarat

Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut said the group typically deployed women and family members to move smaller narcotics quantities, insulating the principal figures from direct exposure. On this occasion, the arrested men had reportedly travelled to Gujarat in person because of the size of the consignment and their intent to rebuild local contacts after intensified police action had disrupted their operations.

The alleged supply chain originates with Rahmat Gul, identified by police as a Kandahar-based heroin source. According to officials, Tifle Naukhez allegedly procured heroin through this contact, with a supply chain intermediary delivering it at Lajpat Nagar, Delhi. Mephedrone was allegedly sourced separately from Rajasthan. Police said the drugs were destined for distribution at six or seven locations across Gujarat, with a named recipient, Aslam, identified as a resident of Rajkot.

Gahlaut noted that the consignment may have been timed for the upcoming festive season, including New Year celebrations on 31 December, as the group sought to reconnect with customers ahead of high-demand periods.

Border Routes and Drone Angle

Investigators are examining how heroin enters India, with focus on the Punjab and Rajasthan land borders. Drones have been documented as a method of cross-border narcotics delivery in northern India, though Gahlaut noted that Gujarat's marshy terrain makes aerial drops difficult. 'It is very difficult to drop [drugs] by drone in Gujarat because it is totally marshy land. Either they use the Rajasthan border or the Punjab border,' he said.

The network's interstate reach is broad: principal supply targets reportedly included Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, while the accused had prior links to cases in Delhi, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

Accused's Prior Criminal Record

Police identified Kafeel Ahmed as the alleged mastermind of the operation, citing an extensive record in narcotics cases. According to officials, Kafeel was sentenced to 15 years in a 2014 Jaipur case involving 18 kg of charas, 20 years in a case involving 3 kg of alprazolam, and 10 years in a Gujarat case involving amphetamine — a combined sentence of 45 years, though police said he had been released on bail in those cases.

Tifle Naukhez had prior arrests in a 2014 heroin case near Amritsar, a 2019 Delhi Special Cell case involving 330 kg of heroin and Afghan nationals, and a 2021 case involving 54 kg of heroin. Mohammed Imran, who allegedly worked in catering and driving, is accused of helping transport the drugs in Tifle's vehicle.

What Investigators Are Pursuing Next

The investigation, which began when the Surat Crime Branch pursued leads from a case roughly 18 months ago, is now focused on tracing the Rajkot-based recipient Aslam, the Rajasthan source of the mephedrone, and others in the heroin supply chain. Police are also examining the network's finances — including cross-border payments and potential cryptocurrency use — under the NDPS Act and the PIT-NDPS Act, with coordination planned with central agencies and law enforcement across multiple states.