Ahmedabad police have arrested two people after a Porter app delivery was allegedly used to transport 0.77 grams of mephedrone, highlighting how app-based logistics can be misused to move contraband through the city. The case came to light after a delivery worker and the person whose mobile number was used for the parcel alerted the police to a suspicious package.
Naroda police received a message through the police control room at around 9pm on Monday about a suspected drug-related incident near the Nana Chiloda Circle area. During the inquiry, officers traced the parcel to an order placed through the Porter application.
According to the report, Vasantbhai Madhubhai Solanki, a resident of Jantanagar in Chandkheda, was handling the delivery. The order initially directed him to deliver a parcel near Kothari Hospital at the Indira Bridge Circle. He was later asked to take it to Naroda, near Nana Chiloda.
The parcel was linked to a mobile number provided for a person identified as Satishbhai. After receiving an OTP, the number-holder contacted the Porter worker. When the parcel was opened, a small packet containing a suspected drug-like substance was found, following which the matter was reported to the police control room.
The substance was examined with the assistance of the Forensic Science Laboratory. Police said the packet contained 0.77 grams of mephedrone, valued at Rs 1,540. The delivery worker also informed the police after becoming suspicious of the parcel.
Naroda police arrested Amit Sindhi of Sardarnagar, who was identified as the alleged sender, and Priyank Sanghvi, a trader from Sabarmati, who was identified as the alleged intended recipient. The police have begun further investigation into the alleged supply chain and the role of the two accused.
The inquiry also found that the mobile number of Satishbhai Saraniya, a timber trader, had allegedly been misused to book the parcel. Police said Saraniya had no connection with the drugs despite the parcel being booked using his number. His details were allegedly used without his knowledge.
Investigators suspect that random mobile numbers were being entered while arranging drug deliveries through the app. According to the report, the delivery worker’s number would then be shared with the intended receiver, who could claim that the original recipient’s number was unavailable and collect the parcel through an alternative contact.
The case places attention on a specific vulnerability in app-based urban logistics: a delivery platform can connect senders, workers and recipients without the delivery worker necessarily knowing the contents of a package. In this incident, the suspected parcel was identified only after the worker and the person linked to the supplied number raised concerns.
The police investigation is continuing. Officers are examining how the parcel was booked, how the mobile number was obtained and whether others were involved in the alleged drug supply operation.
