In a joint operation, officers of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of the Chennai, Bengaluru, and Imphal zones busted an international drug syndicate, which was trafficking methamphetamine from Myanmar to Sri Lanka via Manipur, Guwahati, and Chennai. They have arrested eight men and seized 15.8 kg of the drug from them.
On December 21, 2023, NCB officers of Chennai zone seized 4.8 kg of methamphetamine and arrested four persons, including a woman, in Chennai. The suspects were identified as Chinthamani, Veera Selvam alias Selvam, Saravanan, and Joseph Justine Paul. Upon interrogation, the officers found that they sourced and smuggled the contraband from Moreh in Manipur.
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A joint team was formed under P. Aravindhan, Zonal Director of NCB, Chennai, comprising officers of the Chennai and Bengaluru zones. The team conducted discreet surveillance in Imphal for three days.
On December 28, three persons, including the supplier from Moreh, were intercepted near a hotel in Imphal and 11 kg of methamphetamine was seized from their car. Following up on the case, with the assistance of officers from NCB, Imphal zone, a financier handling the hawala transactions was intercepted and ₹10 lakh in cash was seized from him. Two accounts handling the drug money, with ₹36 lakh and ₹42.66 lakh respectively, were identified and frozen. The suspects – Kalaimani, Reena, Roshan Kumar, and Ravi – were brought to Chennai and arrested.
Mr. Aravindhan said the investigation revealed that the contraband was smuggled from Tamu in Myanmar. They were concealed in tea packets and brought to Moreh. From there, the drugs were smuggled to Sri Lanka via Imphal, Guwahati, and Chennai.
