Ports in Gujarat account for nearly 65 per cent of the total value of drug seizures made by enforcement agencies between 2020 and 2024.
Gujarat has emerged as India’s top entry point for narcotics, with ports in the state accounting for nearly 65 per cent of the total value of drug seizures made by enforcement agencies between 2020 and 2024, according to data of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The data revealed that Gujarat’s ports, including Adani Mundra, Pipavav, Gandhidham and other Container Freight Stations (CFS), witnessed seizures valued at over Rs 7,345 crore. In terms of sheer quantity, Gujarat’s share stood at an overwhelming 99 per cent, dominated by the interception of 9.42 million tramadol tablets and injections at Mundra in 2024. In fact, the biggest seizure which was earlier accounted as Rs 21,000 crore was around Rs 6,000 crore as per the Ministry.
Maharashtra is the second-largest contributor, with ports such as JNPA Mumbai and Raigarh CFS recording seizures worth Rs 2,367 crore, around 21 per cent of the national total. Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin port accounted for Rs 1,515 crore, or about 13 per cent of the value, largely due to a single cocaine haul of 303 kg in 2021.
India has over 200 ports out of which 12 are major ports and others are minor ports.
Enforcement Successes and Shifts in Smuggling Patterns
The data highlights how 2021 was the peak year for heroin seizures, with 3,307 kg valued at Rs 6,614 crore intercepted across different ports, including a record seizure of 2,988 kg at Mundra. In 2022, heroin seizures dropped sharply to 852 kg, though enforcement agencies continued to intercept cocaine shipments.
By 2024, there was a clear shift in trafficking patterns. Instead of heroin or cocaine, seizures were dominated by synthetic pharmaceutical opioids like tramadol, with two major consignments of 68.7 lakh and 25.4 lakh tablets detected at Mundra CFS, and smaller volumes of injections seized at Kolkata.
Legal Action and Status of Cases
While enforcement agencies have successfully intercepted large consignments, the legal process remains lengthy.
In the most cases are still under trial or investigation. Several key cases, including the record Mundra heroin seizure, remain pending before courts. In Kolkata, “the proprietor of import firm is absconding and non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against him by the Session Court.”
