New Delhi, March 6: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled a significant international drug trafficking network, seizing 77.60 kilograms of hashish oil and 2 kilograms of charas. The estimated value of the confiscated drugs is around ₹10 crores. During this operation, authorities also recovered two cars, a motorcycle, and a fishing boat. So far, five individuals, including a Sri Lankan refugee, have been arrested in connection with this case.
This operation aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a drug-free India and follows directives from the Union Home Minister. According to NCB officials, the operation was conducted by a joint team from the Chennai and Hyderabad zonal units. Investigations revealed that this network was active between Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, engaging in large-scale drug trafficking.
Based on intelligence, the NCB’s Hyderabad team intercepted a Tata Safari Storm vehicle near the Raikal toll plaza on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad highway on March 3. A search of the vehicle uncovered 2 kilograms of charas hidden in specially constructed compartments. Two individuals, one from Delhi and another from Uttar Pradesh, were arrested during this operation. Initial investigations indicated that this charas and approximately 78 kilograms of hashish oil had been transported from Kathmandu, Nepal, to India. The drugs were reportedly smuggled into India via the Sonauli border. The arrested traffickers had already delivered around 78 kilograms of hashish oil to Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, where it was intended to be shipped to Sri Lanka by sea.
Upon receiving this information, the NCB’s Chennai team sprang into action. They conducted a raid in Thoothukudi, recovering approximately 78 kilograms of hashish oil from three individuals, including a Sri Lankan refugee. With this operation, the total number of arrests related to this network has risen to five. Investigative agencies have revealed that the traffickers planned to transfer the drug shipment to a receiver in Sri Lanka using a fishing boat near the international maritime border. To thwart this plan, the NCB collaborated with the Indian Coast Guard to seize a suspicious fishing vessel near the maritime boundary.
Further investigations have uncovered that the final recipient of the seized drugs was a Sri Lankan national residing in Sri Lanka, who coordinated the entire trafficking scheme and provided financial support. The NCB has stated that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on identifying additional individuals connected to this network, tracing financial transactions, and dismantling the entire international trafficking operation.
According to the NCB, since the beginning of this year, the Chennai zonal unit has seized 973.35 kilograms of ganja, 87.64 kilograms of hashish oil, and 1.045 kilograms of amphetamine. In these cases, nine individuals have been arrested, with the total estimated value of the seized drugs amounting to approximately ₹12.5 crores.
Additionally, the NCB Chennai has successfully prosecuted three older cases this year, resulting in convictions for a total of eight accused individuals. The NCB emphasized that this operation reaffirms the agency’s strong commitment to eradicating interstate and international drug trafficking networks.
My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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