NCB seizes 11 kg of ephedrine worth Rs 5 crore from New Zealand-bound parcels
The NCB's Mumbai zonal unit has busted an international drug trafficking network after seizing 10.99 kg of ephedrine worth Rs 5 crore from three courier
The NCB's Mumbai zonal unit has busted an international drug trafficking network after seizing 10.99 kg of ephedrine worth Rs 5 crore from three courier parcels allegedly bound for New Zealand and arresting one person from Chennai, officials said on Sunday. Officials said the parcels had been booked using forged documents and the network was operating from Chennai. They said members of the syndicate allegedly travelled to different cities, including Mumbai and Pune, to send the consignments to avoid detection. Read Full Story Acting on specific intelligence, the Narcotics Control Bureau intercepted two courier parcels on July 21 and another on July 25.
During examination, officials found 7 kg of ephedrine concealed between layers of floor mats and cloth rolls in the first two parcels. The courier documents accompanying them were found to be fake, the agency said. Subsequent investigation led officials to the Triplicane area of Chennai, where they caught S Hameed on July 23. Searches at his premises resulted in the recovery of packing materials, a digital weighing machine, heat-sealing machines, plastic bags, forged identity cards, digital gadgets and other incriminating documents, the NCB said.
Based on Hameed's disclosure during interrogation, the NCB intercepted another courier parcel in Maharashtra's Kalyan on July 25. Officials recovered 3.99 kg of ephedrine from it, concealed between layers of bedsheets and photo frames, taking the total seizure to 10.99 kg valued at Rs 5 crore. Officials said efforts were under way to trace the source of the ephedrine, a controlled substance commonly diverted for the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine, and identify other members of the network. The NCB also appealed to people to share drug-related information through the MANAS Narcotics Helpline, 1933, and said informants' identities would remain confidential.
The case involves the seizure of ephedrine hidden in three international courier parcels, the arrest of one suspect in Chennai and an ongoing investigation to identify the source of the drug and other members of the trafficking network. Ends
The BriefWire