The Hindu : New Delhi News : Drugs worth crores seized, seven arrested

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Friday, Oct 20, 2006
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New Delhi

Drugs worth crores seized, seven arrested

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A factory where methamphetamine drug was allegedly being manufactured by an international syndicate has been unearthed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Gurgaon near here. Six Hong Kong nationals and a Canadian national of Indian origin have been arrested, while 550 kg of ephedrine, associated chemicals and equipment worth crores have been seized.

The NCB last month had seized 550 kg of ephedrine, a precursor chemical used in the manufacturing of Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS). Two persons, including a Canadian national of Indian origin, were arrested in that connection. Further investigations revealed that another international drug syndicate had set up a "meth-lab" in Gurgaon to manufacture methamphetamine in bulk and smuggle it to various countries. Acting on the tip-off, the NCB sleuths mounted raids on Tuesday and arrested the seven accused. The Hong Kong nationals were living here in Karol Bagh.

During interrogation, they purportedly disclosed that they had come to India about three weeks ago and had invested more than Rs.3 crore to set up the meth-lab and had already procured the raw material, including 550 kg of ephedrine worth over Rs.1 crore and chemicals like red phosphorus and hydrochloric acid and ethyl alcohol.

The Canadian citizen allegedly revealed that the Hong Kong nationals were expert at manufacturing methamphetamine and had been brought here especially to produce the drug. Popularly known as ice and speed, methamphetamine is a costly party drug much in demand in the western countries. It comes in powder form and resembles granulated crystals.

While earlier ephedrine, the precursor to methamphetamine, was smuggled from different parts of the country to Canada, it has now come to light that the Canadian nationals of Indian origin are being lured into setting up meth-labs here and making more profit. "Easy availability of cheap raw material leads to an end product which is 1,000 times as expensive," said an official, adding that this was the prime reason behind people attempting to set up meth-labs in India.

The NCB officials are now trying to locate the source from where the accused had procured ephedrine in such a huge quantity.

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