Chennai: An elaborate international drug smuggling operation that aimed to move a large consignment from Nepal to Sri Lanka through India was foiled when officials of the Chennai unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), intercepted it mid-sea from a fishing boat off the coast of Tuticorin.Acting on intelligence gathered during a multi-state investigation, the NCB seized 78kg of hashish oil (liquid cannabis extract) and 2kg of charas (solid cannabis resin made from fresh plants), valued at nearly 2 crore in the illicit market. Five people, including a Sri Lankan refugee, were arrested. Vehicles used in transportation and the fishing boat meant for the smuggling operation were also seized. Investigators said the trafficking syndicate devised a complex route stretching from Nepal to India’s southern coast, with the consignment ultimately intended for a receiver in Sri Lanka through a clandestine maritime exchange.The case began to unfold on March 3 when a team headed by deputy director-general R Sudhakar intercepted a vehicle in Telangana. During a search, officers found 2kg of charas hidden in specially fabricated cavities inside the vehicle. Two couriers—Ayush Gupta, 21, from Delhi and Abhishek, 19, from Uttar Pradesh—were arrested.Interrogations revealed that the drugs were part of a larger consignment originating in Kathmandu. The narcotics were smuggled into India through the Sonauli border and transported across several states. Investigators later learned that the bulk of the consignment already reached Tuticorin on March 2, where local operatives prepared for the final phase of the plan.According to officials, the drugs were to be loaded onto a fishing boat and transported towards the International Maritime Boundary Line between India and Sri Lanka. At a predetermined location in international waters, the consignment was to be handed over mid-sea to a Sri Lankan receiver.Acting on the information, NCB, with the help of the Indian Coast Guard, intercepted and seized the fishing boat, preventing the narcotics from leaving Indian waters. “By dismantling the network before the consignment could leave Indian waters, we disrupted a trafficking channel linking India, Nepal and Sri Lanka,” said DDG R Sudhakar.Investigators also identified a Sri Lankan national who is believed to be the intended final recipient of the narcotics. He financed and coordinated the shipment with members of the network operating across Nepal and India.NCB officials said further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate, track financial transactions, and uncover links to larger international drug trafficking networks.
