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To curb the growing network of synthetic and party drugs across the country, the Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), functioning under the Union Finance Ministry, has simultaneously carried out two big and precise operations. Based on intelligence inputs, special teams of DRI have achieved historic success in seizing more than 18 kg of high quality Amphetamine and MDMA while conducting strategic raids in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka and Pune, the major city of Maharashtra.
During this entire operation, a total of four vicious accused, including two women carriers who were traveling by trains with a consignment of banned drugs from Delhi, have been arrested red handed. According to investigating agencies, international and interstate drug smugglers were now using the vast network of Indian Railways to evade the strict surveillance of airports and road routes. This entire conspiracy to supply these deadly synthetic drugs from Delhi-NCR to the pub-clubs and high-profile party circles of South and West India was foiled due to the promptness of DRI.
DRI Headquarters had received precise intelligence that a huge consignment of narcotics was being transported through an express train from the national capital New Delhi to Bengaluru. After this, officials of DRI Bengaluru Zonal Unit laid siege to Krantiveer Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Bengaluru City Railway Station.
As soon as the train stopped on the platform, the officers stopped the suspected female passenger and took her into custody. When his luggage was thoroughly searched, seven large packets containing white-yellow crystalline powder were recovered from his bag. Officials conducted a chemical test on the spot through Field Drug Detection Kit, which confirmed the presence of banned narcotic substance ‘Amphetamine’. The total weight of this consignment recovered from Bengaluru station was approximately 14.9 kg.
DRI did not limit this operation only to the arrest of the woman smuggler, but immediately launched a ‘Controlled Delivery’ operation to reach the root of the entire network. Under this, the female carrier was allowed to proceed in the same way as she used to go for delivery on normal days.
The DRI team took position in plain clothes at the fixed delivery location. As soon as the local receiver from Bengaluru reached the spot to collect the consignment, he was immediately nabbed. Based on his quick interrogation, another link was revealed and the team went ahead and arrested the third person who was to further distribute this entire stock among various sub-dealers and parties in the city. In this way, the three main accused involved in smuggling, transportation and receiving goods in Bengaluru were sent behind bars under the NDPS Act (1985).
On the same day, DRI carried out a second strike based on an independent but similar intelligence input at Pune railway station in Maharashtra. The team of officials intercepted another Indian woman passenger who reached Pune Junction by train from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi.
During a thorough search of the female passenger’s luggage, investigating officers found two different types of synthetic drugs:
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2.53 kg amphetamine: High grade crystalline amphetamine hidden in a secret compartment inside the bag was recovered.
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878 Gram MDMA Tablets: Along with this, hundreds of Ecstasy tablets weighing 878 grams of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) were also seized.
The female accused caught in Pune was also arrested and presented in the court on charges of illegal drug trafficking. Taking the total seizures of both the cities together, DRI stopped more than 18.3 kg of dangerous synthetic drugs from going into the open market in a single day.
This double success of DRI has exposed the new modus operandi of smugglers, in which women are working as couriers or carriers. Due to 3D
Initial investigation has revealed that this entire syndicate was preparing the goods from underground synthetic labs located in Delhi-NCR and border areas or it was being processed through illegal precursor chemicals. After this, the plan was to hide it in low weight packets in women’s purses, inner lining of trolley bags and among clothes and sell it at huge profits in colleges, IT professionals and club culture areas of metro cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
This action of the Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence is not limited to any one city or area. According to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), DRI has seized approximately Rs. 150 kg of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) Succeeded in seizing it.
Major actions taken by the agency in recent weeks include:
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Strike on North-Eastern Border: About 76 kg of methamphetamine tablets were seized during two major operations in the north-eastern states along the India-Myanmar border.
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Screws on sea and export consignment: 55.86 kg of high-purity drug paraphernalia was detected hidden inside corn sacks in a commercial export shipment headed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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Strict legal provisions: All the arrested accused have been booked under non-bailable sections of the NDPS Act (Sections 8, 21, 22 and 29), which provide for rigorous imprisonment of 10 to 20 years and heavy fine due to the commercial quantity.
Opioids such as amphetamines and MDMA are extremely dangerous chemical compounds that stimulate the central nervous system (CNS). These drugs suddenly increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, causing a feeling of extreme excitement for some time. But their regular or uncontrolled consumption causes heart attack, stroke, hallucination, organ failure and mental imbalance.
Experts say that while conventional drugs like heroin or cocaine are based on plants, synthetic drugs can be synthesized from easily available chemicals (precursors like Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine) in illegal laboratories. Due to this, their costs are reduced and profits are many times higher.
DRI, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and local police are now carrying out intensive search operations at various locations in Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru in search of the financiers, darknet handles and hawala operators who are the masterminds behind this entire gang. Agency officials say that this nationwide operation will continue with the same aggression until the entire supply network and money trail is completely destroyed.