The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 10 kg of ketamine seized

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Wednesday, Apr 30, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

10 kg of ketamine seized

Special Correspondent

Air passenger agreed to carry it for Rs. 5,000

— Photo: A. Muralitharan

REPEAT SEIZURE: C. Rajan, Commissioner of Customs, Chennai Airport, inspecting the seized ketamine hydrochloride on Tuesday.

CHENNAI: Officials of the Air Intelligence Unit of the Customs at the Chennai airport arrested a Kuala Lumpur-bound passenger on Monday on the charge of smuggling ketamine Hydrochloride.

The nearly 10 kg seized from him was worth Rs. 1 crore in the international market.

C. Rajan, Commissioner of Customs, Airport, said the officials intercepted Vellaisamy Alagarasan, 42, of Kandithampetai in Tiruvarur district, on suspicion.

Seals tampered with

A search of his handbag yielded nothing. But a close examination of the packets of custard powder, ice cream powder, various brands of masala powder and badam mix kept in his checked-in baggage revealed that the seals had been tampered with.

When the packets were cut open, all of them were found to contain ketamine hydrochloride.

Third in the month

The officials recovered ketamine weighing 9.985 kg. The passenger admitted that he had agreed to carry the contraband to Kuala Lumpur for Rs. 5,000. Mr. Rajan said Monday’s seizure was the third in this month.

Ketamine, an animal tranquiliser, is increasingly used as a narcotic drug. Its export is subject to a no-objection certificate from the Narcotics Commissioner.

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