BENGALURU: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a drug smuggling racket and seized over 13.2kg precursor drugs worth Rs 13 crore. The accused booked a parcel through courier mode, claiming that it contained photo albums and frames.
Based on a tip-off, the DRI, Bengaluru, intercepted one consignment booked through courier at Bangalore International Airport. The consignment was originally booked from Chennai to Australia, and had already reached Singapore enroute to Australia, but was pulled back to Bengaluru. The goods were declared to be photo albums, photo frames, bangles and other items, and appeared to be a personal parcel.
However, it was discovered that within the thick covers of the photo albums and photo frames, a total quantity of 13.2kg of pseudo-ephedrine, a precursor drug, was concealed. Pseudo-ephedrine is used to manufacture the psychotropic substance methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, meth, blue, ice and crystal.
“With a market price reaching more than Rs 1 crore per kilogram, dependent on where the precursor drug is sold, this is one of the largest such consignments seized in recent times at Bangalore International Airport, and would have been sold in the international market for more than Rs 13 crore.
Despite the year 2020 being a Covid year, the total amount of drugs seized by the DRI across India has already crossed 500 kg,” said a press release.
Australia connection
Pseudo-ephedrine is becoming the main precursor chemical preferred in the manufacture of methamphe-tamine in Australia, most of which is produced in clandestine chemical labs or ‘clan labs’. Domestically produced methamphe-tamine is sold on the street as a powder called ‘Speed’.