CHENNAI: The Chennai Air Customs seized Ecstasy pills worth Rs 1.6 crore smuggled through parcels from Belgium and the Netherlands at the Foreign Post Office here.
Working on a tip-off, the air customs detained two postal parcels suspected to contain narcotics. The first parcel from Belgium was taken up for examination and was found to contain artificial leopard fabric and other items. On unwrapping the fabric, nine black pouches were found inside. Orange colour Ecstasy (MDMA) pills with markings “Red Buli” and “Heineke” were found concealed in the pouches.
4060 Ecstasy pills valued at Rs 1.2 crore were recovered and seized under the NDPS Act, 1985. The parcel was addressed to a person in a village in Kancheepuram district. As a follow-up, a search was carried out at the consignee's address which was found to be fake.
When the second parcel from the Netherlands was taken up for examination, it was found to contain an inflatable pool, gummy bear packets etc. On opening these packets, skull shaped ecstasy pills with marking “MYBRAND” were found concealed inside. Further, two pouches containing MDMA crystals and methaqualone powder were found concealed inside the inflatable pool.
1150 Ecstasy pills, 100 grams of MDMA crystals and 1 gram of methaqualone powder valued at Rs 45 lakh were recovered and seized under the NDPS Act, 1985. The parcel was addressed to a person in Andhra Pradesh. As a follow-up, a search was carried out at the address and it was found linked to a person who had already been arrested in an offence of drug smuggling by Chennai Air Customs.
A total of 5210 Ecstasy pills, 100 grams of MDMA crystals and 1 gram of methaqualone valued at Rs 1.65 crore were recovered and seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, a Customs department release stated.