DRI seizes Sri Lanka-bound drugs worth Rs 100 crore, arrests 4 in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 137 kg (gross) of crystal methamphetamine, a banned synthetic drug, worth Rs 100 crore in the illegal drug market from a coastal village in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu and arrested four accused, an official said on Sunday.

The consignment was allegedly meant for shipment to Sri Lanka, the DRI said, adding that the four accused were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act 1985 and remanded to judicial custody.

The operation followed specific intelligence indicating that a large consignment of narcotic substances had been transported to a coastal location in Nagapattinam district for storage and onward smuggling to Sri Lanka, the DRI said in a statement.

A subsequent search led to the recovery of six duffel bags containing 27 silver-foil packets, each weighing approximately 5 kg, it said.

The packets were removed, and their powder contents were sent for lab tests, it said.

The packets contained a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine of high purity. The contraband was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the DRI said.

In a simultaneous search at the premises of the suspected organiser, DRI officers seized Rs 10 lakh in cash suspected to represent sale proceeds. Two four-wheelers and one two-wheeler allegedly used for transporting the narcotic substance were also seized, it said.

The operation successfully exposed the drug trafficking network, including persons involved in organising the coastal export, transportation, storage and logistics of the consignment. Four persons have been arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, and remanded to judicial custody.

Through this operation, DRI has not only removed a significant quantity of contraband drugs from illicit circulation but also successfully dismantled a drug-trafficking network. This major seizure underscores DRI’s sustained efforts and enforcement capabilities in disrupting organised drug-trafficking networks and preventing the use of India’s coastline as a corridor for illicit narcotics trafficking.

The DRI officials described the operation as a major crackdown on organised drug trafficking and one of the biggest narcotics seizures in Tamil Nadu’s coastal region in recent years.

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