Former MHA Official Makes Sensational Claims About Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif

New Delhi:  Former Under Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs RVS Mani has made explosive claims about Pakistani cricket teams and delegations visiting India. According to Mani, Pakistani cricketers, delegation members, and players, including Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, allegedly carried drug consignments during their visits. He also alleged that the trafficking operation was connected to Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI.

Who is RVS Mani? 

RVS Mani was an officer of the Central Secretariat Service. He served as an Under Secretary in the Internal Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs from 2006 to 2010. He has since retired. Mani took voluntary retirement in August 2013; at that time, he held the post of Under Secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development. His work involved sensitive issues related to Jammu & Kashmir, the Northeast, and terrorism.
Highlighting the role of drug trafficking in fueling terrorism in India, he stated that 30 per cent of terror funding comes from drug trafficking.

Did Shoaib Akhtar and Asif engage in drug trafficking? 

Reflecting on his tenure, he mentioned that all Pakistani delegations visiting India during that period used to bring drugs with them. He said, "Look, there are reports regarding this case stating that cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif admitted to the Pakistani High Commissioner that they had brought drugs; following this, they were sent back."
He further stated, "Whenever a Pakistani delegation, team, or any other group visited India, they engaged in drug trafficking. This was not for personal consumption. This occurred on October 16. Then, about six months later in March, Bob Woolmer—the English coach of the Pakistan team who was opposing the drug trafficking by the Pakistanis—was killed under suspicious circumstances."
It is worth noting that Bob Woolmer died on March 18, 2007. He was the coach of the Pakistan cricket team at the time. During the 2007 Cricket World Cup in Jamaica (Kingston), he was found unconscious in his hotel room a day after Pakistan lost to Ireland. He was taken to the hospital but could not be saved.
RVS Mani, a retired official from the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that all the dots need to be connected. Pakistani delegations used to bring drugs into India, and according to the DIA at the time, 30 per cent of terrorist attacks in India were funded by drug trafficking. Sending drugs to India is a matter of official Pakistani policy.

What did RVS Mani say? 

Recalling discussions within the Ministry of Home Affairs, RVS Mani said, "That is why we used to say that if the harvest in Jalalabad was good, there would be more terrorist attacks in India. We used to assess the situation this way; we would say, 'Look, brother, check if there has been a bumper opium crop in Jalalabad this time; otherwise, it will become a headache for us.'"
When asked during the podcast whether Pakistan could use such prominent figures for drug trafficking, he replied, "Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar are high-profile figures; there are others too—perhaps some whose names haven't surfaced—but the entire team was involved, and they used to do this." 'People-to-People Contact' Fraud
He stated that 'people-to-people contact' with Pakistan is the biggest deception, as that was precisely where such activities took place and false narratives were fabricated.
When asked whether the Intelligence Bureau (IB) did not track these individuals, RVS Mani explained that numerous reports—including movement reports—are on record with the Ministry of Home Affairs; the IB's role is to issue alerts and provide information, while subsequent actions fall to other departments.
When asked how he felt seeing all this while being aware of the situation at the Ministry of Home Affairs, RVS Mani replied that it felt terrible.