CHENNAI: A major drug smuggling racket, making clever use of valid visas and passports of genuine travellers to smuggle heroin into Saudi Arabia, has come to light following the arrest of a person from Malappuram by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at the Chennai airport recently. The matter has been taken up with the Kerala police.

The Bureau's South Zonal Director, Shankar Jiwal, said that following a tipoff, NCB officers intercepted Mayin Kutti, alias Syed Alavi, at the airport here when he was about to leave for Jeddah on July 3.

He was holding a fake Indian passport. A search of his suitcase led to the seizure of 3.1 kg heroin concealed in it. His accomplice Mohamed Ali, also of Malappuram, who came to see him off, was also arrested.

Mr. Jiwal said Mohamed Ali told interrogators that he regularly sent couriers to Jeddah with the drug. His modus operandi was to purchase valid passports with Saudi Arabian visas from people who were prepared to sell the documents.

Subsequently, couriers bearing close resemblance to the holder of the passport, were selected for such trips and brought to Chennai airport for the journey. This had been going on for nearly a year. Kerala police said Mohamed Ali was involved in a case last year, which was being investigated by the Government Railway Police. He and some others were alleged to have stolen a huge sum of money meant for the families of two other persons who were executed for drug smuggling in Saudi Arabia.

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