- Singh
At least fifty people of Indian origin are serving time in U.S. prisons on drug related charges. They came as couriers or were involved in other aspects of drug trade, Pakistan has a bigger drug link because of its prominently to Afghanistan, but India has now emerged as a big exporter of illegal narcotics to the United States.
Here is a brief account of some of their activities and reasons for their involvement.
Difference In Price: Heroin,
Which is a white powder is extracted from opium. Ten kilos of opium produce one kilo of heroin. The price of one kilo Heroin in India is about five thousand dollars and the wholesale price in U.S. is hundred thousand dollars. So to make ten lakh rupees per kilo, Indian smugglers take any kind of risk.
Carriers: The big smugglers based in Bombay and New Delhi carriers to deliver their stuff in this country. These carriers are usually ordinary visitors, airline pilots, air hostess, ship workers, film actors, actresses, diplomats also work for smugglers. It is not easy for custom authorities at airports to find out who has the drug. Chances of getting caught are only one out of ten, and smugglers always stay one step ahead of police.
Hare Rama, Hare Krishna’s Involvement
Recently some Hare Rama Hare Krishna people were also involved in bringing drugs from India. They brought the drug by hiding in their musical instruments, Bhagwat Gita and even under their phony wigs.
Mr. A. who now lives in Long Island, NY with his Italian wife in a luxury house only a couple of years back he used to be a poor priest in the Hare Rama Hare Krishna temple in Bombay where he met the Italian American lady ‘and came to US. with her. To make a good living Mr. A. became a carrier for a smuggling gang. He kept bringing heroin to United States god knows for how long. But got caught in 1987. He was released from jail in about a month, after he agreed to tell about the top guys of his group. Pretty soon his boss Mr. V.G from Bombay, an American (TWA airline pilot) and some others were arrested with Mr. A’s help. Now while Mr. A. is having a good time ‘outside his boss is serving 14 years sentence in Oxford, Wisconsin.
Some others serving time in U.S prisons range from an ordinary carrier to movie producers, friends and relatives of big political leaders.
Rajiv Gandhi’s Friend
Adil Shafer, a boyhood friend of Rajiv Gandhi was convicted in 1984 on federal charges of firebombing a ship to collect insurance. Mr. Shatiryar bombed his own ship sailing in Atlantic, where the ship workers were lucky enough to survive. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison. In 1985 Shahryar told other inmates in prison that his good buddy is now prime minister of India and he will get him out. His dream became true when Rajiv Gandhi came to US. in 1985 and personally requested President Reagan to release Shahryar. Mr. Reagan commuted Shahryar’s sentence and Shahryar was released on the same day.
While cold blooded criminals like Shahryar walk out with Rajiv Gandhi’s help, some other Indians also try to follow in his footsteps.
As the war against drugs goes on, government has passed a new law with tough penalties for drug dealers. Under old laws even top bosses used to go home in couple of years, but the good old days are gone now. Under this new law the minimum sentence for heroin dealers will be ten years in prison. Anyone caught with three kilos or more will stay in prison for the rest of his/her life.
Computer Courses
After their arrest most of the Indian smugglers usually end up in MCC (Metropolitan Correction Center) New York, where computer courses are offered in prison school. so when some Indians write back home they generally tell their families that they are taking computer courses at Metropolitan Computer Center (MCC). But now under tough new laws, they will get enough time to do Ph.D’s in computer science.
Zail Singh and Buta Singh’s Connections.
In another case Mrs. Anand was arrested in New York with ten kilos of heroin in her house. Before her arrest she tried to scare the police by showing them her pictures with ExPresident Zail Singh and Home Minister Buta Singh. She also told police that they would in big trouble by arresting her. But her connections with President and Home Minister of India were not enough. The police told her to shut up and handcuffed her. The poor lady probably did not realize that she was not talking to police in New Delhi but in New York. Mrs. Anand and her husband are now serving 5 years in sentence in Kentucky.
Victims: Recently an Indian girl in Bombay was asked by her boyfriend to accompany him ona free trip to USA. But the free trip became a question of life and death, when she and the boyfriend were arrested in New York upon their arrival. Four kilos of heroin was found wrapped in chocolate packs in their luggage. The girl went in tears explaining that she knew nothing about heroin. But it took her three months behind the bars, before the authorities realized that she was innocent. She was released and sent back to Bombay.
Perhaps she will never come back on another free trip to USA.
In other incidents, some innocently ship workers were arrested just because they were walking with their friends carrying drugs.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 7, 1989
