Anti-drug sleuths extend the probe to metros
TRIVANDRUM:THE Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has extended the investigation into major cities to find out the final destinations of seized drugs in India.
Last week, India’s anti-drug sleuths seized 2,500 kg of narcotics off Kerala coasts near Kochi with a revised estimated value of Rs 250 billion (Dhs 11.5 billion).
The NCB’S zonal director P Aravindan said methylenedioxymethamphetamine and lysergic acid diethylamide are popular among urban youth besides metamfetamine.
“Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi where the mix of the crowd is there, the urban youth sometimes prefer this kind of drugs,” he told reporters in Kochi on Monday.
“Md ma, ls d and metamf eta mine are preferred in urban pockets. So we suspect this contraband would have been distributed to metropolitan Indian cities.”
The Navy intercepted a “mother ship” sailing from Chabhahar port in Iran in a joint operation with the NCB and seized the substance allegedly sourced from Pakistan. The investigators say part of the consignment could have been meant for India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
A Pakistan national accompanying the consignment, containing over 2,500 kilograms of methamphetamine, is in their custody.
The seizure was carried out as part of ‘Operation Samudragupt’ which targeted maritime trafficking of drugs in the Indian Ocean region.
They say most of the consignments, originated from pakistan, iran and afghanistan and the“mother ship” distributes narcotics in smaller boats during its journey. The Navy has handed over 134 sacks of methamphetamine, the boat and other items salvaged from the ship and the Pakistani national to the NCB in Kochi.
“NCB has initiated the seizure procedures and the primary analysis is that all of the packets contain methamphetamine of high purity,” an NCB press release said.
They said the “mothership” was sinking when they reached it and a few people onboard fled in a medium-sized fast boat.
“We don’t know what caused the shipwreck,” MR Aravind, the operations superintendent of the NCB who was part of the mission, said.
“While the Navy was into the operation, a few people had let the vessel, which was sinking, and fled in a high-speed launch.”
He said the prices of the stuff vary in the destination countries and a gramme of methamphetamine could fetch Rs 10,000 in India.
Congress party leader Ramesh Chennithala, who launched a campaign against substance abuse when he was home minister, said the seizure from Kerala waters was shocking.