Crime
Mumbai DRI Seizes 16 kg Mephedrone from Hyderabad-Bound Bus Worth Rs 24 crore; 5 Arrested
Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 16 kg of mephedrone, a psychotropic substance under the NDPS Act, 1985, and arrested five individuals, including two passengers and three middlemen.
Acting on specific intelligence, the DRI officers learned that a substantial quantity of mephedrone was being smuggled from Hyderabad to Mumbai via a passenger bus. Surveillance was set up overnight, and in the early hours of December 3, the officers intercepted the two suspected passengers.
A thorough search of their baggage revealed 16 kg of a white powdered substance, which preliminary tests confirmed to be mephedrone. The seized drugs are valued at approximately Rs 24 crore in the illicit market.
The investigation didn’t stop there. Follow-up actions in Mumbai led to the arrest of three middlemen who were to receive the consignment. During these operations, the officers also recovered Rs 1.93 crore in cash, believed to be linked to the drug trade.
All five individuals were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, and the seized drugs and cash were taken into custody.
The operation coincided with the DRI’s 67th founding day, underscoring the agency’s unwavering commitment to combatting organized crime and safeguarding the nation from drug trafficking. “The DRI remains relentlessly committed to safeguarding our country from the menace of drug trafficking and dismantling organized crime groups,” the agency stated in its official release.
The case highlights the growing challenge of drug trafficking across states and the critical role of coordinated intelligence and swift enforcement in curbing this threat.
