ANC raids Andheri hotel, seizes 74 kg of banned substance worth R 1.85 cr packed in 11 thermoses to be sent to Bangkok and Malaysia as cargo
ANC raids Andheri hotel, seizes 74 kg of banned substance worth R 1.85 cr packed in 11 thermoses to be sent to Bangkok and Malaysia as cargo
A drug bust by the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Crime Branch is presently keeping the police on its toes, and the two suspects nabbed with 74 kg of ephedrine worth Rs 1.85 crore are being grilled to establish whether the consignment was intended for the underworld.
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| Nabbed: Crime Branch officials say that the duo have already sent 10 such drug filled thermoses to Malaysia and Bangkok. |
The matter came to light yesterday after the Azad Maidan unit of ANC received a tip-off from a reliable source, following which they raided a room at Stay Inn Hotel in Andheri (east) and arrested Shahul Hamid (42) and Ganesh Kumar Subbaiyya (24), both residents of Chennai, who have been staying at the hotel since the past eight months. Yesterday's raid on the hotel room yielded 11 thermoses and 74 kg of ephedrine.
According to Sunil Paraskar, deputy commissioner of police ANC, the duo has earlier smuggled ephedrine to Bangkok and Malaysia, concealed in several steel flasks used for tea, which they booked with the airline as cargo.
Sources state that it is very likely that denizens of the underworld holed up in Malaysia and Thailand, could have ordered the drugs from India, where it is easily available. Some shooters of the underworld are even addicted to cough syrups as a substitute for hard drugs like coke or charlie (cocaine) and khaki or brown Sugar.
Recent trends indicate that members of the underworld are switching to dealing drugs like ephedrine, which is easily available compared to other expensive designer drugs, and also to evade arrest and severe punishment associated with dealing other drugs.
According to Parasekar, an informer told him that one Dominic Nair would deliver the packets of ephedrine and containers to the suspects at the hotel. The containers were then to be hollowed out with a drill and the drug filled into the cavities and sealed. The duo would then re-pack each thermos individually and addressed them to receivers at Bangkok via air cargo. Paraskar said that the duo has sent 10 such containers earlier and also couriered ephedrine through Mumbai and Bangalore as cargo.
"Ephedrine is used to manufacture anesthetics drugs and is a banned substance in India. The two have just been arrested and it is too early to comment about their links. We are however on the trail of those supplying them and the receivers in foreign countries. We have seized three passports and their mobile phones from the hotel room and will use them to establish details of contacts through calls made and received. Prima facie, it is believed that the hotel staff was clueless about the activities," said Paraskar. "We would also find out whether airport or cargo staff are involved in the racket," added Paraskar.
| What is Ephedrine ? |
| High points
Ephedrine is considered less harmful compared to cocaine and heroin and is a stimulant. Generally taken orally it acts on the central nervous system and increases blood pressure and pulse rate.
It dilates the bronchioles in the lungs, making it easier to breathe, but causes loss of appetite, mild euphoria and hallucinations.
Bad news
Overdose can lead to palpitations, nausea, vomiting, tremors, insomnia, heart attack, stroke, bleeding in the brain, and even death. Owing to the harmful side effects, ephedrine is classified as a "dangerous drug" and over-the-counter sale is illegal in several countries. In Malaysia and Bangkok stringent action is taken against anyone found in possession of it. |
