Methamphetamine Drugs worth Rs 25,000 crore came from Pakistan Cartel: Officials

An NCB official said that this was the most “superior quality of methamphetamine we have ever come across in the illegal drug market”.

A day after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Navy seized 2,525 kg of “high-purity methamphetamine” off the coast of Kochi, sources in the NCB said on Sunday (14.05.2023) that the drugs were worth more than initially estimated and that the Pakistan-based Haji Salim drug cartel was behind the consignment.

The NCB had earlier said that the seized methamphetamine – a highly addictive recreational drug – was worth Rs 12,000 crore in the illegal market. On Sunday, NCB sources said, “As the seized methamphetamine is of superior grade, we have revised its estimated market value to Rs 25,000 crore. In terms of the market value, this is the biggest drug seizure made by any agency in the country.”

An NCB official said that this was the most “superior quality of methamphetamine we have ever come across in the illegal drug market”.

“The price of this drug depends upon its grade and quality. It is in high quality pure white crystal form. Hence, we have found that it would have a market value of Rs 25,000 crore,” the official said.

Sources said that the consignment was meant for supply in India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Seychelles. “We have arrested a 29-year-old Pakistan national, who has been working as part of the Haji Salim drug cartel. He had been part of similar international drug smuggling gangs in the past,” they added.

Although the NCB has previously busted drug trafficking attempts by the Haji Salim cartel, this was the first time that an Indian agency has intercepted a “mothership” – a large vessel carrying large quantities of drugs.

NCB sources said the methamphetamine was sourced from Jiwani, a port town in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, close to the border with Iran.

“The chemical substance, pseudoephedrine, which is used for making methamphetamine, is easily available in the region. There are local laboratories there engaged in manufacturing methamphetamine. The substance is packed in packets and is loaded into small ferries, which proceed to motherships that are waiting in international waters. These motherships would sail only through international waters,” sources said, adding, “This particular mothership was also intercepted in international waters, off the coast of Kochi. The drug consignment was set to be handed over to various small vessels operated by drug mafia in India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. We have come to know that the mothership has been at sea at least for the last 45 days.”

Sources said the mothership was sunk during the operation, “but we could retrieve the consignment. The mothership was not in a condition to be towed to the coast. Hence, it was abandoned. The operation is still going on, so we cannot comment on the crew of the mothership. The detained Pakistan national was in a speed boat that was found near the mothership. He is believed to be from Baluchistan province. We have not recovered any weapon from the ship or the speed boat. Apart from the drugs, we have recovered a GPS tracker during the operation.”

NCB officials said the seizure of the large quantity of methamphetamine showed its growing demand in the drug market. “This substance is fast replacing ganja. Methamphetamine is cheaper than cocaine, so it is also known as poor man’s cocaine. There have been several instances of methamphetamine seizure in south India,’’ sources said.

The seizure was part of Operation Samudragupt, which the NCB had launched in January 2022, targeting the maritime trafficking of drugs originating from Afghanistan. This was the third major seizure by the NCB related to maritime trafficking through the southern route in the last one-and-half-years.

The NCB had gathered information from DRI, ATS Gujarat, the intelligence wing of the Navy and National Technical Research Organisation. A total of approximately 3,200 kg methamphetamine, 500 kg heroin and 529 kg hashish has been seized in the operations so far.