Drug smuggler brought to Kochi for investigation

KOCHI: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials brought notorious drug smuggler Rajesh Bharadwaj to Kochi in connection with a heroin seizure case. Heroin worth Rs 11 crore was seized in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts years ago.DRI officials said that Rajesh, who was arrested from Chandigarh, will be taken to various places in Kerala as part of evidence collection.   According to the officials, Rajesh, who hails from Chandigarh, is said to be an active member of an international drug smuggling cartel. He is the kingpin of the racket that has made Kerala their base for smuggling heroin.The officials said that Rajesh had transferred huge amount of money from the fund raised by selling the contraband in India.The accused is likely to be presented before the Vadakkara Court on Tuesday where the case was registered. The DRI is expected to ascertain the details of the other members of the gang.   “A detailed interrogation is on to collect the bank account transactions and the amount of money pumped in from abroad to his bank accounts to carry out smuggling operations in the state,” the officials said.The DRI had earlier confirmed that the state is becoming a major transit point for drug trafficking and had unearthed two Canadians as kingpins of the international drug-trafficking racket operating from five Indian cities.The arrest of Rajesh is likely to help the DRI to collect details about the international names in the racket.