Indian
anti-smuggling intelligence officials have seized nearly three tonnes
of heroin - reportedly worth around $2.7bn (£1.9bn) - in a major
operation at a port in Gujarat state.
Forensic testing is still under way to determine the exact value of the seized drugs, officials told the BBC.
Two people have been arrested and several others are being investigated, a statement said.
The shipment originated in Afghanistan, where it was declared as talc stones.
It was shipped to Gujarat's Mundra port from Iran.
The
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said that it received
intelligence that a shipment from the Bandar Abbas Port in Iran was
suspected to contain narcotics.
It said the intelligence also revealed that the shipment was being imported by a company in the southern city of Vijaywada.
"When
our officers detained the consignment and examined it, suspected
narcotic drugs were recovered from the containers and the presence of
heroin was confirmed," DRI said in a statement.
Officials
said searches have been conducted in multiple cities across India,
including the national capital, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Chennai.
"Investigations
conducted so far have also revealed the involvement of Afghan
nationals, who are under investigation," the agency said.
Opium poppy plants are refined to form the basis for several highly addictive drugs, including heroin.
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