The efforts of the Narcotics Control Bureau has finally paid off. For quite some time, it had been on the know that members of the Mexican drug mafia were operating from the city.
The efforts of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has finally paid off. For quite some time, it had been on the know that members of the Mexican drug mafia were operating from the city. Tapping their information base, the NCB sleuths had previously come close to nailing their quarry at least on three occasions, but were frustrated every time.
But on Friday, lady luck smiled on them. It was yet another tip-off, and the NCB men went the whole hog. Result: a Mexican national was arrested, and a little over 100kg of ephedrine tablets and powder pouches were seized.
“Part of the consignment was seized from the air cargo at the Sahar terminal, and the rest from a Peddar Road flat,” said a senior NCB officer. The contraband, he added, cost Rs2.5 crore. Sold in the international market, it would have fetched 10 times the amount. The Mexican’s name was withheld as the NCB didn’t want his fellow members of the drug cartel, who could be in the city, to bolt.
It all began on Wednesday, with the NCB receiving a tip-off that a huge consignment of drugs was to be checked-in at the air cargo. The sleuths lay in wait, and the parcel was identified when it came in. From it was found the sender’s name and his Peddar Road address. The NCB located the flat and raided it. The Mexican, caught unawares, was rounded up, along with more bagfuls of ephedrine tablets.
The accused was charged under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. “We are grilling him to get details about the source of the drugs and people involved in the racket,” said the NCB officer. “Another line of investigation would be adopted to trace where the parcel would have eventually ended up.”
“Ephedrine is used as a precursor for making amphetamine, which goes to make drugs like heroin, cocaine, Ecstacy, Ice and some other party drugs,” said another NCB officer. The drug also has vast medicinal use, and is used to cure respiratory diseases.
In the past couple of years, there had been several seizures of ephedrine tablets and powder at the airport. Most of those consignments had been bound for Latin American countries, where high-end party drugs are made and distributed worldwide. “Prima facie, the accused seems to be part of an international drug mafia. Further investigations
are on,” said the officer.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}