In the Rs270-crore sensational ephedrine racket unearthed by the Gujarat Police, son of former Congress MlA Bhavsinh Rathod emerged as main suspect on Friday during primary investigation. Ephedrine is the chemical used to make narcotic and psychotropic substances including methcathione.
On Thursday evening Ahmedabad Police Crime Branch and Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in a joint operation recovered 1,300 kg ephedrine from a factory in Naroda area of Ahmedabad. The value of the seized ephedrine in the market is around Rs270 crore. According to police sources the illegal chemical was transported from Maharashtra for processing in the factory at Ahmedabad.
The police claimed that it is the biggest seizure of drug not only in Gujarat but across the country. Police had already arrested on person — Narendra Kacha in connection of the case. They are in search of two other — Kishorsinh Rathod, son of Congress leader Bhavsinh Rathod and his close aide Jay Mukhi. According to investigation officer JK Bhatt, Kishorsinh has history of crime and in the past too he was arrested in connection with fake currency note case. He was also sentenced for five year imprisonment in the case, said Bhatt.
Responding on the alleged involvement of his son in the drug racket, former Congress MlA from Sami constituency in North Gujarat Bhavsinh Rathod said that his son was framed wrongly due to political rivalry. In fact Bhasinh too is having criminal history as he was in the jail for narcotics smuggling under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 — known as NDPS Act. A charge was also framed against him under Section 135A of the Customs Act in the same case.
The police said that they acted upon a tip-off about 15 days ago regarding the chemical ephedrine being transported to Gujarat from Maharashtra. According to the official, ephedrine is not a banned substance and hence the police waited for a fortnight so that suspects process it into narcotic substance. He informed that Ephedrine is listed as a Table-I precursor under the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.