KOCHI: In a major haul, the Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotic Special Squad on Saturday seized Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) worth about Rs 200 crore from a courier parcel. MDMA costs Rs 15,000 per one gram in the local market while it is sold for double the price internationally.
Acting on a tip-off received by Ernakulam Deputy Excise Commissioner A S Ranjith, the sleuths conducted an inspection at a private courier service firm operating near the Shenoys Junction on the MG Road and seized 30 kilograms of the contraband. It was kept in 64 packets, concealed with carbon papers in order to evade detection during scanning at the airport.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the parcel, bound for Malaysia, was despatched by an international smuggling racket."The consignment might have reached here from some foreign destination as MDMA is not a locally-produced variety. A probe is on to trace its source and why it was being smuggled through Kochi," said an Excise officer. Earlier in March, the Excise sleuths had seized MDMA worth Rs 30 crore while it was transported via Nedumbassery Airport and arrested two youths.