Parcel from Netherlands, HC denies bail in ‘intn’l drug trafficking’ case

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court has denied bail to a Mizoram woman in a case of “international drug trafficking” where a narcotic parcel landed up at Foreign Post Office, Kolkata from Netherlands.

The bench of Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Apurba Sinha Ray was moved by the petitioner (accused) with a bail prayer. A parcel containing a huge quantity of narcotics (amphetamine) was found along with kitchen appliances. It was seized at the Foreign Post Office at Kolkata where the petitioner’s name appeared as the consignee. It came from the Netherlands. She was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The petitioner’s counsel submitted she didn’t know the consigner from the Netherlands and had no knowledge of the contraband contents. NCB opened it in her absence at the post office. Search of her residence at Lunglei, Mizoram yielded nothing incriminating. She didn’t submit any KYC details or tracked the consignment via mobile or e-mail.

No samples or photographs were taken in presence of the Magistrate. Call data records were enclosed but a digital certificate with regard to hash value was missing from the chargesheet.

The NCB counsel submitted that all necessary legal formalities were complied with. The entire process was videographed. Probe disclosed she is part of an international drug trafficking racket and the same was being monitored by some other accused persons from Netherland and Kenya. Retrieved deleted data from her phone showed images of the parcel before its arrival.

Court observed that the parcel contained her name and phone number. Parcel images were sent to her mobile phone. If the images were sent innocuously why were they deleted? All such facts prima facie show she knew such a parcel was coming to India. She needs to prove during trial she didn’t know what was inside the parcel. Court said the issues of hash value certificate and forensic report of the mobile phone not being annexed with chargesheet, are to be taken up during trial. Noting that some of the accused persons are still absconding and evading arrest, court denied bail but directed trial court to expedite proceedings of the case against her by splitting up the record after taking steps against the absconding accused.