CHENNAI: In their biggest drug haul in 2024, the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) seized 16 kg of methamphetamine from a house in Vadakarai in Red Hills on Monday and busted an international syndicate. Ten people have been arrested and properties worth Rs 5 crore seized in the case.
In all, the police have seized 17.8 kg meth from this syndicate alone worth Rs 17 crore, although the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) pegs the per kg value of meth to be Rs 10 crore.
The biggest reported case of methamphetamine seizure in Tamil Nadu in 2024 was the 36 kg bust by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Madurai in March. The 16-kg bust by the GCP is likely to be the second-biggest in the year.
The police, in a statement, said the drug was sourced from Myanmar and brought to Chennai via Manipur. Haryana has been identified as another starting point, they said.
According to the statement, the genesis of the bust lies in the seizure of 1.5 kg meth from V Venkatesan alias Rajesh from Madhavaram and K Karthik on December 21. Working on subsequent leads, the police seized 15.9 kg of the drug from the Vadakarai house on Monday.
Investigations revealed that Venkatesan had been convicted of a drug offence in Patiala in Punjab, and was released in 2021 after serving a seven-year sentence. Immediately after release, he allegedly ganged up with his relative Prabhu of Kodungaiyur and Shanmugam of Urapakkam to traffic methamphetamine and its precursor pseudoephedrine from Myanmar (via Manipur) and Haryana to Chennai.
Duo invested proceeds from drug trade into two houses worth Rs 5 crore
The probe also led to Shahul Hameed and Lawrence who, police said, were found to be in possession of 128 gm of the drug. The duo had allegedly invested the proceeds from the drug trade into two houses worth a total of Rs 5 crore, documents of which were seized for attachment.
Venkatesan’s wife Jawas Merida and Sarathkumar from Chennai were also arrested on Monday for helping the former in the drug trade and for possession of 157 gm of the drug, the police said.
The investigation also led the GCP to Lakshmi Narasimhan and Murugan of Madurai, who were arrested with 150 gm of meth on Monday. Laboratory equipment was also seized from them, indicating their alleged involvement in the manufacture of the drug using its precursors.
Further investigations are underway to identify the forward and backward linkages in this case, sources said.