UAPA invoked against Lawrence Bishnoi, ATS gets custody in drugs case

While the ATS sought 14-day remand of Bishnoi, the the court granted it custody for four days.

“We have invoked sections of UAPA against him for using narcotics drugs to fund terror activities. In this connection, we sought his further remand and the Naliya court has granted us his custody for four days,” an officer of Gujarat ATS officer said.

“Gujarat ATS claims to have found a money trail linking Bishnoi and persons involved in terror activities and therefore, UAPA has been invoked,” a person privy to the details of the case added.

This is the second time that Bishnoi has been taken into custody by the Gujarat ATS in connection with a case registered against him at Jakhau Marine police station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The case was registered after six men aboard a Pakistani fishing trawler were caught with 38.994 kg of heroin worth Rs 194.97 crore off Jakhau coast of Abdasa taluka on September 14, 2022.

The ATS said that Bishnoi, also the prime accused in alleged murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, had ordered the drug consignment from a person named Abdudllah in Pakistan. Accordingly, Abdullah had dispatched the drugs on board fishing boat Al Tyasa, which set sail from Pansi coast of Balochistan province of Pakistan.

However, the police managed to intercept the consignment when six men on board Al Tayasa were transferring the same to another boat Jumma off the Jakhau coast.

According to the police, the consignment was to land near Jakhau.

The six men aboard Al Tyasa were identified as Mohammad Saif Latif (34), Imran Khalid (33), Mohsin Shehzad (24), Jahur Ahmed (21), Mohammed Sohail (28), and Kamran (40) – all said to be residents of Karachi. Sartaj Malik and While Mohammad Sharif alias Jaggi Singh were arrested on September 14, last year, Nigerian national Chief Obonna and Miraj alias Miraj Rehman were arrested.

Officers said that while Bishnoi was lodged in Punjab jail, he had contacted Meraj and Obonna in connection with the drug haul by using a cellphone.

In April, the ATS arrested Bishnoi after securing his custody from Tihar jail in Delhi and the Naliya court had then sent him to 14-day ATS remand.