Mumbai Court Sentences Eight Pakistani Nationals To 20 Years Imprisonment In 2015 Drug Seizure Case

A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday (1 January) sentenced eight Pakistani nationals to 20 years in prison in connection with a 2015 case involving the seizure of over 200 kg of drugs worth nearly Rs 7 crore.

Shashikant Bangar, the special judge for NDPS Act cases, convicted the eight persons for offences committed under the anti-drug law.

The court imposed a 20-year prison sentence on them, the maximum penalty under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on each of the convicted individuals.

The Indian Coast Guard, in 2015, arrested the accused from a boat carrying 232 kg of heroin valued at Rs 6.96 crore off the Gujarat coast.

According to the prosecution, the boat carried 11 drums, each containing 20 plastic pouches filled with a wheatish brown powder.

Tests conducted on the contents of each packet confirmed the substance to be heroin, the prosecution stated.

The eight Pakistani nationals were also found with three satellite phones, GPS navigation charts, and other electronic devices.

They were subsequently handed over to the Yellow Gate police in South Mumbai.

Special Public Prosecutor Sumesh Punjwani argued for the maximum sentence, asserting that it would serve as a deterrent for other drug traffickers.

The defence counsel, on the other hand, requested the court to adopt a lenient approach.

After considering arguments from both sides, the court declined to show leniency and sentenced the eight accused to maximum punishment.

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