- DRI seized 56 kg of methamphetamine at Nava Sheva Port.
- Drugs were concealed in a maize export consignment bound for Saudi Arabia.
- Exporter and freight forwarder arrested under the NDPS Act.
- Investigation exposed a new concealment method used by traffickers.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th Aug: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has foiled an attempt to smuggle 56 kg of methamphetamine concealed in a maize export consignment destined for Saudi Arabia, arresting two persons in connection with the case.
According to the DRI, the seizure was made during an intelligence-based operation conducted on August 16 and 17 at Nava Sheva Port, where officers recovered approximately 56 kg of methamphetamine in powder form from one of the 351 bags in the export consignment.
Officials said the narcotic substance had been ingeniously mixed with maize, making it difficult to detect during routine export inspections. The recovered methamphetamine was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Subsequent investigations led to the identification of the exporter and the transporter-cum-freight forwarder involved in the operation. The probe revealed that the freight forwarder had been coordinating with an overseas buyer regarding transportation and customs clearance of the consignment.
Based on their alleged roles in the attempted trafficking, both the exporter and the freight forwarder were arrested under the NDPS Act.
The DRI described the concealment technique as a distinctive modus operandi, in which a large quantity of methamphetamine was inextricably mixed with maize and presented as a routine agricultural export to evade scrutiny.
Methamphetamine is a highly potent synthetic psychostimulant with a high potential for abuse and addiction. Authorities said its illicit use can cause severe physical and psychological harm, including elevated heart rate and blood pressure, agitation, paranoia, psychosis and long-term health complications.
The seizure is part of the DRI’s continued nationwide crackdown on transnational trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
