The country craft was heading toward Sri Lanka, and it was intercepted
after a hot pursuit by the joint team of officials from the DRI, Chennai
zonal unit, and ICG Mandapam. This is a major haul of narcotic substances
initiated by the DRI
Chennai: As many as 99 kg of hashish, said to be worth ₹108 crore, was
seized from a country boat near Mandapam coast in Tamil Nadu by the
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Indian Coast Guard Mandapam, an
official said on Tuesday.
The country craft was heading toward Sri Lanka, and it was intercepted after a
hot pursuit by the joint team of officials from the DRI, Chennai zonal unit,
and ICG Mandapam.
Following a tip-off that narcotics substances were being smuggled from India
to Sri Lanka via the coastal route near the Mandapam Sea coast, the officials
took up surveillance over the Gulf of Mannar through a Coast Guard ship on the
intervening night of March 4 and 5.
“During the surveillance in the deep sea, officers of DRI and the Coast Guard
identified a country boat sailing towards Sri Lanka and intercepted the same
after a brief hot pursuit,” an official release here said. On interception,
officers rummaged the boat and found five sacks concealed inside it.
In its continuous hunt against smuggling of narcotics substances @IndiaCoastGuard & #DRI Chennai in a joint operation apprehended a country boat off #Mandapam & seized 99 kgs hashish drug worth Rs 108 crores. #anti-narco ops pic.twitter.com/gtXL6zmuAq
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) March 5, 2024
The country boat along with the contraband and three persons on board were
brought to Coast Guard Station Mandapam this morning for further
investigation.
During interrogation, they admitted that the bags were packed with narcotic
substances and that they received the bags from a person in the Pamban coastal
area and acted upon his instructions to carry the same to be delivered to an
unknown person from Sri Lanka in the deep sea, the release said.
Following this, the DRI apprehended the said person from his house and upon
questioning it was found that this man was the kingpin who organised the
smuggling of narcotics substances from India to Sri Lanka via the coastal
route.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the seized drugs were transported from
different parts of the country for further transportation to Sri Lanka by
country boats,” the release stated.
A total of 111 packets of hashish weighing 99 kgs valued at ₹ 108 crore in the
international market was seized under the NDPS Act. All four persons were
apprehended for further investigation, the release said.
This is a major haul of narcotic substances initiated by the DRI as part of
its sustained efforts to combat drug trafficking.
On March 1, the DRI officials seized ₹ 180 crore worth of narcotic drug
methamphetamine meant to be transported to Sri Lanka from a rail passenger in
Madurai and a dump yard in Chennai. They also detained the man and his wife in
connection with the seizure.
This report is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
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