NEW DELHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 4 bags containing opiate derivative/heroin weighing 395 kg at Pipavav port in Gujarat, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Acting on intelligence jointly developed by DRI and ATS Gujarat, a container was examined by DRI at Pipavav port in the presence of officers of ATS, Gujarat. The said container having a gross weight of 9,760 kg was declared to contain 'thread'.
"On a detailed examination on April 28, out of 100 jumbo bags, four suspicious bags having a total weight of 395 kg, containing threads showed the presence of opiate derivative/Heroin in the field testing done by the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory," the ministry said.
The drug syndicate used this unique modus operandi in which threads were soaked in a solution containing narcotic drug, heroin which was then dried, made into bales and packed in bags.
These bags were shipped along with other bags having bales of normal threads so that it would go unnoticed by the authorities, it added.
The ministry said 2021 witnessed substantial seizures of drugs like Heroin, Cocaine, Hashish and psychotropic substances and precursors like Methamphetamine and Pseudoephedrine by the DRI.
More than 3,300 kg of Heroin, 320 kg of Cocaine and 230 kg of Hashish were seized between January and December 2021.
In addition, 170 kg of Pseudoephedrine and 67 kg of Methamphetamine were seized during this period.
The ministry said syndicates have also tried to push narcotics like Yaba and heroin from the Indo-Myanmar border and hashish from the Indo-Nepal border, into India through the land borders.
DRI officers have also intercepted such consignments from these borders, sometimes ingeniously concealed inside vehicles.