In a major drug bust, the enforcement and the anti-narcotics squad of the Kerala Excise department seized synthetic drug worth Rs 200 crore from a private courier centre in Kochi on Saturday. According to reports, the sleuths searched a private courier shop in Kochi after receiving a tip-off that drugs were being smuggled via the courier service.

During the search, officials found 32 kgs of MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as Ecstacy), packed in 64 packets and covered with carbon paper to avoid detection during scanning in the airport. The packets were also concealed using clothes in eight cartons.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the contraband, which was found to be in its purest form, was allegedly being sent to Malaysia. 

The sleuths also added that the employees at the courier centre from where the drug was seized were running a drug racket and were working together with the smugglers. According to reports, since vigil has been stepped up across international airports, drug cartels are trying out different ways to smuggle drugs outside the country.

It has been noticed that there is a spike in the number of narcotics seizures from the Kochi International Airport recently.

In May, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 2 kgs of cocaine worth Rs 10 crore from a citizen of El Salvador at Kochi International airport. The drug was concealed in two packets and was allegedly being smuggled by the man from South America to India.

Earlier, in February, MDMA worth Rs 25 crore was seized by the Excise department officers from a vehicle in Angamaly. The vehicle, reportedly from Palakkad, was stopped for a check by the officers in Angamaly when they seized the drug. The two persons in the vehicle were arrested by the officers.

In January, the NCB seized cocaine worth Rs 25 crore from a Filipino woman who was travelling from Sao Paulo to Kochi. The drug was concealed inside the trolley bag carried by the woman.