Customs officials at the Chennai airport seized narcotic pills worth Rs 1.6 crore, which arrived from Belgium and Netherlands on Wednesday. The two consignments in total contained 5,210 ecstasy pills, 100 gms of MDMA crystals and one gram of methaqualone.
A release from Chennai Customs said the first parcel with 4,060 ecstasy pills valued at Rs 1.2 crore arrived at the Chennai airport from Belgium. Due to suspicions, the officials cut opened the parcel and found artificial leopard fabric and a few more things. The officials opened the fabric and found nine pouches with orange colour ecstasy MDMA pills, “Red Buli'' and “Heineke”.
The pills were recovered and seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The parcel was addressed to a person in a village in Kancheepuram district. “As a follow up action, a search was carried out at the consignee address which was found to be fake,” a release from the Chennai Customs office said.
The second parcel valued at Rs 45 lakh arrived from the Netherlands. Based on a suspicion, Customs officials opened the parcel and found an inflatable pool, snack and gummy beer packs. Once the packets were cut open two pouches were found with ecstasy pills.
The inflatable pool contained MDMA crystals and Methaqualone powder. The parcel totally contained 1,150 ecstasy pills, 100 grams of MDMA crystals and 1 gram of Methaqualone powder valued at Rs 45 lakh. The parcel was addressed to a person in Andhra Pradesh who is already under arrest for smuggling drugs by Chennai Customs.
Both the parcels contain 5,210 ecstasy pills, 100 gms of MDMA crystals and 1 gm of Methaqualone worth Rs1.65 crore. All the narcotics substances were seized under NDPS Act, 1985. The Chennai Customs officials are further investigating the matter.
The seizures of narcotic drugs, especially MDMA party crystal has witnessed a spike in Chennai during the lockdown period.