Two persons have been apprehended in Hyderabad while they were attempting to parcel a package containing three kg ephedrine/pseudoephedrine to New Zealand, according to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
A press release said officials from the DRI’s Hyderabad Zonal Unit, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the duo and seized the package. “Upon inspection, two vacuum-sealed transparent packets were found to contain a white powdery substance. Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as ephedrine/pseudoephedrine, with an estimated illicit market value of ₹60 lakh,” said the statement.
The arrested have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are categorised as controlled substances due to their potential misuse in the illicit manufacture of amphetamine and methamphetamine, commonly known as amphetamine-type stimulants. A detailed investigation is under way.