The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 2.7 kg heroin seized at airport, 4 Sri Lankans held

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 30, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

2.7 kg heroin seized at airport, 4 Sri Lankans held

K.T. Sangameswaran

Contraband sealed in false bottom of a made-to-order suitcase

CHENNAI: Normally, it would have passed off as the trolley suitcase of a passenger at the airport here. But for officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), south zonal unit, it contained something more than what a suitcase would normally have.

In the "made-to-order" box, besides clothes and cosmetic material, 2.7 kg of heroin — meant to be smuggled in to Sri Lanka — was found sealed, said Shankar Jiwal, Zonal Director, NCB.

One of the four arrested Sri Lankans told the officials that he paid Rs. 25,000 to a person in Mumbai to make the suitcase in which the contraband was sealed in a false bottom, Mr. Jiwal told The Hindu.

The bottom was broken open to seize the drugs. The suitcase also contained clothes and cosmetics.

This is the fourth time that the modus operandi — concealing the drugs in specially made suitcases — has been detected, the earlier ones being in Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai.

There are indications of who made the boxes and the bureau's Mumbai unit is pursuing the lead, he said.

In judicial custody

About Rs.1.20 lakh was seized from a hotel room at Vannanthurai, Besant Nagar, where three of those arrested were staying.

All four islanders were remanded to judicial custody.

Mr. Jiwal said smugglers did not spare even tricycle tyres. Early this month, NCB officials seized seven kg of heroin concealed in nine tricycle tyres.

It was the first detection of an attempt to smuggle heroin to Sri Lanka through a sea cargo consignment.

A parcel containing dismantled tricycle parts was detected in a hotel room at Mannady in North Chennai.

Two persons were arrested in connection with the seizure and remanded to judicial custody.

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