DRI seizes drugs worth Rs 47 crore\, three arrested

DRI seizes drugs worth Rs 47 crore, three arrested

Earlier, the DRI along with officials from the Customs department had seized 191 kg of heroin from Nhava Sheva Port on Saturday night, which was valued at Rs 1,000 crore.

Written by Sagar Rajput | Mumbai | Published: August 18, 2020 1:36:19 am
On August 1, the civic body had allowed traffic on the reconstructed portion, limiting the usage to only passenger vehicles. It had also put up a height barrier to prevent entry of heavy vehicles.The factory in Hyderabad.

Officials from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) raided two different locations in Mumbai and Hyderabad and seized 251 kg drugs, including mephedrone (210 kg), ketamine (10 kg) and ephedrine (31 kg), valued at Rs 47 crore. Three persons have been arrested in the case.

Earlier, the DRI along with officials from the Customs department had seized 191 kg of heroin from Nhava Sheva Port on Saturday night, which was valued at Rs 1,000 crore.

DRI officials received a tip-off that a consignment of mephedrone which is a banned psychotropic substance manufactured in Hyderabad, was to arrive in Mumbai on August 15. The consignment was being delivered in a private bus from Hyderabad. Accordingly, DRI officials intercepted the consignment as soon as it arrived.

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“The mephedrone consignment was loaded in a private passenger bus as a cargo with no persons accompanying it, to ensure that even if the consignment was caught, no individuals could be linked to it,” read the press release issued by DRI.

During investigation, the recipients of the consignment in Mumbai were identified, who were then taken into custody and their premises were raided by DRI. Officials then managed to make further seizures of mephedrone, ketamine and ephedrine weighing up to 251 kg, which were to be distributed.

Officials said the drugs were manufactured in a residential premises in Mumbai while the group was also running a factory in Hyderabad. The raids have led to the recovery of a huge quantity of various chemical raw material intended for the manufacture of drugs, the release stated.

The psychotropic substances are worth Rs 47 crore in the grey market, an official said, adding that an additional cash worth Rs 45 lakh in Indian, American and European currency notes were seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

Officials said that one of the accused was a repeated offender, who was arrested by DRI in 2017 under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

Officials added that the syndicate had a well-established chain of supply both within and outside the country and the payments were made through Hawala channels.