Crystal Meth Worth Rs 180 Crore Seized From Tamil Nadu Station, Dump Yard, Couple Detained

In a major bust, the narcotics drug methamphetamine worth Rs 180 crore meant for transport to Sri Lanka was recovered from a rail passenger in Madurai and a dump yard in Chennai by officials, who detained a man and his wife in connection with the seizures.

A total of 36 kg of the drug was seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence - from the rail passenger at the Madurai railway station, and another six kg from the Kodungaiyur dump yard in Chennai - in a meticulously planned operation, the central agency said.

The value of the confiscated drugs is approximately Rs 180 crore and the couple has been detained.

Methamphetamine, also known as "ice" or "crystal meth", is a highly addictive psychostimulant drug that exhibits powerful euphoric effects similar to those of cocaine and has life-threatening consequences, the DRI said in a release.

Acting on a tip-off that a passenger on the Madurai-bound Pothigai Express from Chennai on February 29 would be carrying narcotic substances, the DRI's Chennai Zone officials laid a trap. As the train arrived at its destination this morning, the team identified the passenger and intercepted him with the help of the Railway Protection Force (RPF)officials.

A search of his baggage yielded 15 packets weighing 30 kg of a white-coloured crystal substance. Tests showed it was methamphetamine. The contraband was immediately seized.

Upon being interrogated, he disclosed that some more methamphetamine packets were kept at his home in Chennai, the release said.

"His home was searched and it was found that his wife had thrown the narcotic packets in the dustbin and that the garbage was taken at the Kondungaiyur dump yard," the release said.

A DRI team rushed to the dump yard and recovered three packets of methamphetamine weighing six kg.

Preliminary investigation revealed the man was carrying the contraband for transport to Sri Lanka through the coastal route. He and his wife have been detained and further investigation is on.

This is the first major haul from Madurai coming close to the incident of the city police seizing over 800 grams of methamphetamine drugs from a house in KK Nagar last week.

Reacting to the seizure, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said it was "very shocking and painful that the ruling DMK has turned Tamil Nadu into a state where all kinds of drugs like ganja, cocaine, heroin, and now methamphetamine are easily available".

Instead of containing the circulation of narcotic substances, which is pushing the future of Tamil Nadu into the grave, the DMK government encouraged drug lords and provided them access to the party, Mr Palaniswami said in a post on X. He was referring to a now-sacked DMK functionary who allegedly had links with an international drug cartel that was recently busted.

Tamil Nadu's Leader of Opposition urged parents to safeguard their children from the evils of drugs.

BJP state chief K Annamalai also lashed out at the ruling dispensation and said Tamil Nadu has become the drug capital of India, and that Chief Minister MK Stalin "should hang his head in shame for transforming this state into a haven for drug traffickers".

"International druglord and a DMK functionary Jaffar Sadiq is on the run. The NCB is raiding DMK functionaries' establishments. Rs 1,200 crore worth en route to Tamil Nadu caught off the coast of Gujarat, and today 30 kgs of methamphetamine were caught in transit in Madurai by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence," he said in a post on X.

"While the widespread network of Jaffar Sadiq's is being exposed, Thiru MK Stalin remains tight-lipped, leaving one to wonder if he would wake up and act or employ his cronies to divert people's attention to insignificant issues," K Annamalai further said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)