HYDERABAD: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized methamphetamine, a psychotropic substance, concealed in an Australia-bound consignment of food articles.
The substance, packed in a plastic pouch weighs 1 kg and is valued at around Rs Rs 3 Crore. Methamphetamine, a party drug, is commonly known as meth, blue, ice, and crystal, among many other terms.
Acting on specific intelligence, the DRI Hyderabad teams on Friday seized the parcel bound to Australia, which was being sent through courier service.
After opening the parcel, they found food items in the consignment. After carefully removing the packets containing the food items, they found a transparent plastic cover wrapped with thick black colour paper.
It was later found that 1 kg of white crystalline methamphetamine, an amphetamine-type stimulant, was found packed in it.
The value of Methamphetamine in the international grey market is more than Rs 3 crores per kg, said DRI officials.
Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. The drug can be smoked, snorted, injected, or ingested orally. When it's used, a chemical called dopamine floods the parts of the brain that regulate feelings of ecstasy.
In the long term, methamphetamine use can cause irreversible harmful effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure; damaged blood vessels in the brain that can cause strokes or an irregular heartbeat that can, in turn, cause cardiovascular collapse or death; and liver, kidney and lung damage.
Further investigation to trace the sender and the origin of the substance is under process, said officials.