Customs officials at the Chennai airport seized 60.9 kg of Ketamine Hydrochloride, a banned drug, from two passengers early Monday. Both were arrested by the Customs authorities.
Customs sources said following specific information, they kept a vigil on passengers at the departure hall of the international terminal. On suspicion, they intercepted A. Kalaivanan (23) of MKB Nagar, Chennai, who was on his way to board a Thai flight. When they checked his baggage nothing was found. The passenger was carrying some flour packets, and when they opened the packets a few were found to contain flour and more than 10 packets contained the banned drug weighing 20 kg.
In the second case, the Customs authorities intercepted a 40-yar-old Boulana from South Africa holding a Portugese passport. When they checked her baggage, the ketamine packed in small packets were kept concealed inside bed sheets in her baggage. The officials seized 40.9 kg of ketamine from the passenger.
Kalaivanan told the Customs authorities that flour packets were given to him by a stranger and he carried them for a monetary consideration. As far as the woman passenger was concerned, she told the Customs authorities that someone came to the hotel room where she was staying and handed over the packets to be smuggled to South Africa, the Customs sources said.
The seized drug was valued at Rs 6.9 crore and further investigation was on, they said.
