The Narcotics Intelligence Bureau, Tamil Nadu, and the Central Intelligence Bureau are on the trail of the lynchpin of the Chennai-based international smuggling racket suspected to be behind the seizure of ₹200 crore-worth MDMA or methylene dioxymethamphetamine, a recreational drug that also goes by the name Ecstasy, from a courier parcel here in September. A lookout circular has been issued against the accused, who goes by the name Ali, to ensure that he does not flee the country.
Excise officials believe that the 30 kilogram drug, priced as high as ₹15,000 per gram in the local market, was destined for Malaysia.
“Ali is a professional peddler who takes contract for the delivery of drug consignment from the source to the destination for a specific amount. He takes an advance and the rest of his fee is paid on the delivery of the consignment,” Ashok Kumar T.A., Divisional Assistant Excise Commissioner, told The Hindu .
Excise sleuths had arrested one Prasanth Kumar, a Kannur native residing in Chennai, who attempted to push the contraband to Malaysia via Kochi. He had sent the contraband, concealed in eight cartons of textile consignment, to Kochi through a private courier service agency at Egmore in Chennai.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Prasanth, who got acquainted with Ali through one of his friends, had pushed drugs to Malaysia through the same route earlier in August last. That emboldened him to try his luck a second time, which faltered after he failed to furnish the address on time and the courier agency grew suspicious and alerted the excise officials.
“The racket does not use the same route more than a couple of times and had the attempt succeeded they would not have tried the Kochi route again any time soon. Places close to airport are chosen for the smuggling,” said Mr. Kumar.
He said that the drug was probably sourced from Bangladesh and brought to Kolkata from where it was routed via Chennai to Kochi. It was to be sent as air cargo to Malaysia. While it may be smuggled out to Malaysia, which is suspected to be mainly a transit hub, in large volume, from there it’s delivered in very small quantities to avoid detection to places, including West Asia.
“As per our information, the Chennai-based racket had not smuggled drugs to Malaysia in the last one year probably because some other route was active. It might have resumed the operation after that route got blocked,” said Mr. Kumar.
He said that the excise team had visited Chennai several times by now and would continue to do so to keep track of the case.
