2 months ago
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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted an planetary cause trafficking web progressive successful smuggling narcotic substances crossed Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.
Acting connected credible intelligence, peculiar teams of the bureau arrested 5 suspects, including a Sri Lankan refugee, and seized 78.71 kg of charas and 960 grams of hashish oil.
During a coordinated multi-State cognition led by officers of the NCB Southern Region, 2 cars, a motorcycle, and a sportfishing vessel utilized to smuggle the contraband were seized, sources successful the bureau said.
Following a circumstantial tip-off, peculiar teams intercepted a car successful Telangana connected March 3, 2026. About 2 kg of charas concealed successful specially fabricated cavities successful the conveyance was recovered. Two suspects - Ayush Gupta, 21, of Delhi and Abhishek, 19, of Uttar Pradesh - were taken into custody connected charges of transporting the contraband.
Further probe revealed the pack had transported a overmuch larger consignment of narcotic drugs from Kathmandu, Nepal, into India done the Sonauli border. A full of 158 packets of charas weighing astir 78 kg, on with astir 1 kg of hashish oil, had been sourced successful Kathmandu and smuggled into India arsenic portion of the trafficking operation.
Maritime way disconnected Thoothukudi coast
Investigators gathered quality indicating that the charas and hashish lipid consignments were delivered to agents successful Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, with plans to way the narcotics to Sri Lanka done maritime channels.
NCB officials subsequently zeroed successful connected the agents progressive successful receiving and facilitating the onward question of the narcotic consignments. They were arrested and vehicles utilized by them, on with incriminating evidence, were seized.
NCB officials besides shared accusation with the Indian Coast Guard, whose unit intercepted and seized a sportfishing vessel suspected to person been utilized for the planned mid-sea transportation adjacent the International Maritime Boundary Line, the sources said.
“We person successfully dismantled a transnational narcotics trafficking web operating crossed 3 countries. The modus operandi of the suspects was to root drugs from Nepal and smuggle them crossed Indian States to Sri Lanka. We person identified the kingpin, based successful Sri Lanka, who financed the smuggling of the drugs from Nepal via India,” R. Sudhakar, Deputy Director-General, NCB Southern Region, Chennai, told The Hindu connected Friday.
The approximate worth of the drugs seized is ₹10 crore successful the planetary market. The full quantity of narcotics smuggled by the pack to Sri Lanka truthful far, and whether the consignments were meant for section depletion oregon further transshipment to Europe oregon Southeast Asian countries, are nether investigation.
Efforts are connected to apprehend the premier fishy successful Sri Lanka, who had been sourcing the drugs done coastal waters disconnected Thoothukudi with the assistance of sportfishing boats.
“His apprehension volition assistance america place different members of the syndicate, hint the fiscal trail, and dismantle the broader planetary web progressive successful cause trafficking operations,” Mr. Sudhakar said.
