Chennai police arrest Assam native in heroin smuggling case; three absconding

The Guindy police have arrested a 32-year-old man from Assam on charges of smuggling heroin into Chennai. The accused, identified as Rajib Hussain, was taken into custody on Saturday after collecting a parcel containing the contraband at a courier office in the Guindy Industrial Estate.

According to police officials, the courier company employees alerted the authorities after a suspicious parcel was detected during sorting. Upon opening the parcel, police found 13 grams of heroin. Acting on instructions, the courier company contacted the recipient, Rajib Hussain, and asked him to collect the parcel. When he arrived, a team led by Inspector Michael Iruthayaraj arrested him.

During interrogation, Hussain revealed that he had been working as a housekeeper for a private company in Navalur, a suburb in Chennai's IT corridor, for the past six years. Earning an monthly salary of around ₹12,000, he said he struggled to meet expenses and send money to his family in Assam. He then contacted his friend Shafiqul Aslam in Assam, who suggested that selling heroin could yield high profits.

Following Aslam's advice, Hussain roped in two other friends, Saithul Islam and Parithul Hussain. A few months ago, the trio sent ₹45,000 to Aslam and purchased heroin via courier. They sold the consignment for ₹1 lakh and divided the proceeds. About a week ago, they sent another ₹64,000 to Aslam. He informed them that the shipment would be sent in two parcels over several days. The first parcel containing 13 grams of heroin arrived on Saturday.

The police have registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. They are now searching for the three absconding suspects: Shafiqul Aslam, Saithul Islam, and Parithul Hussain. Investigations are ongoing to determine if there are more links in the smuggling network.