BENGALURU: As has been the pattern in recent years, banned narcotic drugs originating from Chennai and being shipped to Malaysia via Bengaluru airport continues. The only aspect that has changed is the novelty deployed each time. Ephedrine and Ketamine drugs are the most sought after drugs, reveal seizures made by the Airport Customs at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). Drugs concealed in packets of raw sugar, organic palm sugar or in sweet packets via cargo or courier are among the methods deployed by the smuggling racket.
Speaking to Express, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Harsh Vardhan Umre, said attempts to smuggle 15.9 kg of drugs worth Rs 1.44 crore were seized during the first four months of this financial year.
“This includes the seizure of 3 kg of hashish concealed in a plastic bag in the hand baggage of a passenger travelling from Bengaluru to Doha on July 30 and 12.9 kg of Kentamine Hydrochloride concealed in palm sugar meant to be sent via courier (April 18),” Umre said.
Asked if the quantum had increased, Umre felt it was too early to make that assessment. For the financial year 2016-2017, the Airport Customs had seized 42.08 kgs of drugs valued at Rs 4.24 crore while for 2017-2018 we seized 35.66 kg valued at Rs 35.65 lakh, he specified.“We have not yet had a case of drugs being smuggled into the country via the Bengaluru airport. It is only drugs going out of the country from Bengaluru,” Umre pointed out.
Zonal director of Bangalore unit of Narcotics Control Bureau Sunil Kumar Sinha said a major drug smuggling racket was operating out of Chennai. “It is not just Bengaluru airport that they make use of. The international airports of Chennai, Hyderabad and even Mumbai are used by them to send drugs outside the country,” he said. Stating that exact records pertaining to consumption of narcotic products in the city were not available, Sinha said social stigma was preventing individuals or families from reporting or seeking support. “The only stats we get are that maintained by rehabilitation centres,” he said.