NE LEGAL BUREAU
CHENNAI, OCTOBER 18
In a major intelligence-led crackdown on suspected cross-border narcotics trafficking, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 137 kg (gross) of suspected crystal methamphetamine from a coastal village in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district, foiling an alleged attempt to smuggle the consignment to Sri Lanka through a mid-sea transfer. Four persons have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.
- Intelligence-led operation: Surveillance on October 16–17 leads DRI officers to a coastal location in Nagapattinam district
- ₹100-crore haul: Six duffel bags yield 27 silver-foil packets containing suspected crystal methamphetamine
- Transport network under scrutiny: ₹10 lakh in suspected drug proceeds and three vehicles seized during searches
- Sri Lanka link probed: Four arrested as investigators examine an alleged plan to transfer the consignment at sea
The seizure, made during a surveillance and enforcement operation on October 16–17, is estimated to be worth more than ₹100 crore in the illicit drug market, according to the DRI. The agency said the operation exposed a suspected coastal trafficking network allegedly involved in organising the consignment’s transportation, storage and onward movement by sea.
Acting on specific intelligence that a large consignment of narcotics had been moved to a coastal location in Nagapattinam district for storage and subsequent smuggling to Sri Lanka, DRI officers mounted surveillance before carrying out searches.
The search led to the recovery of six duffel bags containing 27 packets wrapped in silver foil. The packets contained a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine of high purity. The consignment weighed approximately 137 kg gross and was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
In a simultaneous search at the premises of the suspected organiser, officers seized ₹10 lakh in cash, suspected to represent proceeds from drug trafficking. Two four-wheelers and a two-wheeler allegedly used to transport the narcotics were also seized.
The four arrested persons are suspected of having roles in the network’s coastal export arrangements, transportation, storage and logistics. They have been arrested under the NDPS Act and remanded to judicial custody.
The DRI said the operation had removed a significant quantity of suspected narcotics from illicit circulation and disrupted a network allegedly seeking to exploit India’s coastline for cross-border drug trafficking.
The seizure underscores the enforcement challenges posed by maritime narcotics routes and the importance of intelligence-led surveillance along vulnerable coastal stretches. The suspected destination, the proposed mid-sea transfer and the alleged roles of those arrested will be subject to investigation and the legal process.