New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 15 kg of methamphetamine tablets, around 4 kg of pseudoephedrine, 85 lakh smuggled foreign-made cigarettes and two Pakistan-made pistols in a series of intelligence-led operations across the country. Five people have been arrested in connection with the seizures.
In Mizoram, DRI officers intercepted a truck on the Aizawl–Champhai Road on July 15 and recovered 15 kg of methamphetamine tablets concealed inside the vehicle. Preliminary investigations suggest the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar through the Zokhawthar sector. One person was arrested under the NDPS Act.
In a separate operation at Nhava Sheva Port in Mumbai on July 16, officials seized nearly 85 lakh sticks of foreign-made Gold Flake cigarettes, valued at around Rs 20 crore, from an import container that had been falsely declared as carrying plastic storage boxes.
On July 17, DRI officers in Punjab recovered two drone-dropped Pakistan-made pistols with magazines near the International Border in the Amritsar sector. The weapons have been handed over to the local police for further investigation under the Arms Act.
In another operation in Chennai, officers unearthed a clandestine facility and seized around 4 kg of pseudoephedrine, a precursor chemical used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. The contraband was allegedly concealed in a specially built cavity, and investigators suspect it was meant for illegal export. Four persons were arrested in the case.
The DRI said the coordinated operations were part of its ongoing efforts to dismantle organised smuggling networks involved in narcotics trafficking, illicit tobacco trade and cross-border arms smuggling.
