CHENNAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on Friday seized `8.84 crore worth narcotic drugs at the Chennai Port, which were about to be smuggled to Malaysia.The consignment was given clearance by the Customs department on Thursday and was about to be loaded in a container at a container freight station, said the statement issued on Monday by the Directorate.
Based on a tip-off, the Directorate officials inspected the suspected consignment on Friday and found 44.2 kg of ‘methaqualone’, a psychotropic substance used as a party drug, and 5.9 kg of ‘Piperonal’, a controlled substance which is used to manufacture a party drug.The contraband was kept concealed in the consignment. The suspects are absconding, the statement added.
Caught in city airport
Meanwhile, the Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs department seized gold and foreign currency worth `10 lakh in two separate incidents at the Chennai international airport over the last two days, said a statement from the AIU said on Monday.Yedala Gangayya, 31, who arrived here from Riyadh by Sri Lankan Airlines UL 121 on Monday, was intercepted at the exit gate and during a personal search at the security check-in, he was found carrying two gold bars in his pant pocket. The gold bars had a marking of “rmmr SUISSE 10 TOLAS FINE GOLD 999.9,” weighing 233 grams and valued at `6.7 lakh. The bars were then seized, said the statement.
In the second incident on Sunday, 20,000 Saudi Riyal in denomination of 500, equivalent to `3.3 lakh in the Indian currency, was seized from 23-year-old Mohammed Sameen Mullah who was bound for Dubai from Chennai by Sri Lankan Airlines UL 128.During a security check, the foreign currency was found concealed with a black adhesive tape inside the rectum of Mohammed Sameen Mullah.The currency was seized, said the release.