Month After Mundra Port Raids, NCB Now Recovers Drugs Worth Crores, Hidden in Lehenga From Bengaluru

In a major operation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 3-kg drugs worth crores in Bengaluru. The consignment, which was to be sent to Australia, was hidden in three lehengas, officials said, adding that they have arrested one person in connection with the case.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by NCB Zonal Director, Amit Ghawate intercepted a parcel containing 3 kg of white-colored crystalline substance on October 21, according to a report in NDTV.

As per the report, the material seized is believed to be a banned substance, pseudoephedrine which was retrieved after opening each fold of the fall line of the three lehengas. The parcel was booked from Narasapuram in Andhra Pradesh and was bound for Australia.

During the probe, NCB officials tracked the shipment and identified the sender to Chennai. Further probe in the case led to the identification of the sender’s address in Chennai. He was finally arrested on Friday. Officials said the accused used fake documents to send the parcel.

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The court of special judge P C Joshi remanded the accused, M Sudhakaran and Durga Vaishali – who allegedly ran Vijayawada-registered M/S Aashi Trading Company that had imported a consignment of ‘talc stones’ (which turned out to be a drug) – and Rajkumar P, to 10-day NIA custody as sought by the central agency.

The accused, also booked under anti-terror act UAPA, were arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) before the case was transferred earlier this month to the NIA.

The case relates to the seizure of heroin, disguised as a consignment of semi-processed talc stones originating from Afghanistan, which had arrived at the Mundra Port from the Bandar Abbas Port in Iran.

The three accused were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and the matter was being heard by a special NDPS court at Bhuj in Kutch district.

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