A youth identified as K. Gopi Sai reportedly sent ephedrine drug powder to Australia through a Vijayawada-based courier service in January this year.
The unauthorised sale of ephedrine is banned under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS), Act 1985.
The consignment sent by Gopi Sai reached Canada due to a wrong address and later was returned to Bengaluru airport as the address could not be traced.
Officials of the Customs and Central Excise Department found 4,496 grams of ephedrine powder in the parcel, and took up an investigation. They summoned courier service employee G. Teja of Vijayawada and arrested him on Saturday (April 30), and informed his relatives of the arrest.
According to police, Gopi Sai, hailing from Sattenapalli in Guntur district, tried to book the consignment to Australia through a private international and domestic courier service located in Vijayawada, on January 31.
When Teja asked Gopi Sai to give his Aadhar card as proof, the latter reportedly said his Aadhar number was not clear on the card and requested Teja to book the parcel on his Aadhar card number, to which the courier boy accepted.
However, the parcel returned to Bengaluru airport on April 27, and the Customs and Central Excise Department officials seized the parcel and booked a case.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Central Zone, S. Khader Basha on Sunday, said that two teams have been constituted to probe the drug racket.
“The NTR District Commissionerate Police have deputed the teams to Bengaluru to get more details on the case and to Sattenapalli to trace Gopi Sai,” the ACP said.
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