The Capital seems to have become the transit point for banned psychotropic substances.
The police seized 4400 kg of methaqualone worth Rs 200 crore
NEW DELHI: The Capital seems to have become the transit point for banned psychotropic substances. In the largest-ever drugs haul, the Delhi police has seized 4400kg of Methaqualone worth Rs200 crore. The seizure, which came just eight days after 100 kg of banned narcotic ephedrine and three kg of hashish were seized on August 20, took place late Sunday from a godown in the Badarpur area in south Delhi.
“It looks like a sequel to the August 20 seizure. The involvement of an international cartel cannot be ruled out. The drug, methaqualone, popularly known as mandrax, is in high demand among partygoers and some sportspersons,” said Anil Shukla, deputy commissioner of police (south).
The container was coming from Panipat to the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Tughlaqabad, from where it was bound for a foreign country. It was stolen by the accused, who took the help of the driver of the truck that was transporting the container.
The accused, Vinod Sharma, 38, in whose possession the container was found, was sent to police custody for 10 days.
The seizure has brought to light the intricate network involving drug exporters, customs and excise officials, and drivers in the ICD. What has been seized is just a part of the total amount. Almost three fourth has already been shipped to the destination country, said a senior official.
The accused, who has been in the trade of stealing goods from inbound and outbound containers for many years, had recently switched over to stealing drugs that he transported out of the country for its high return.
After stealing the chemical, he used to sell it in the open market.
Methaqualone is used to make mandrax, which is very popular in the US and South Africa. The police are investigating the origin and destination of the drugs.
“The origin and the destination of the drugs are not known yet. We have some definite clues and hope to unravel the network very soon,” Shukla said.
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