By P. Vijian, NNN-Bernama,
Chennai, INDIA : The Indian authorities have successfully unearthed a clandestine operation to ship out more than 100 kilogrammes of ketamine to Malaysia through Tuticorin Port in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) of the state capital, Chennai, discovered the contraband worth some two million USD on the international market hidden in several steel vessels that were being exported in a container registered under a person based in Chennai.
“The ketamine were well concealed in vessels made of stainless steel and we discovered more than 600 steel vessels with false bottoms where the drugs were hidden. They were nicely packed in polythene bags and were meant for Malaysian buyers,” an investigation officer familiar with the case told Bernama Sunday.
The latest arrest in Tuticorin Port, located about 550km from Chennai, showed that traffickers were now trying new ports to escape the tight vigilance at Chennai Port, often used as a gateway by drug cartels, after several major trafficking rings were busted in past months.
“It appears that syndicates are now diverting to Tuticorin from Chennai after several successful air and sea interventions where we seized large amounts of ketamine. The ketamine seized is also multiplying from about 10 kg to 20 kg confiscated from air passengers previously to hundreds of kg now which are being shipped out via seaports. It is so lucrative that they try all means,” said the officer.
Details of the recent case remained sketchy as investigations were still in progress, but sources said the purported ketamine export to Malaysia could exceed the 100 kg, as more vessels were being checked.
“Rings and rings of people are involved in this operation and it will take us some time to complete the case and the seizure could be more than what we have found so far,” added the officer.
India is a major producer of Ketamine hydrochloride for the pharmaceutical industry and it’s commonly used as a veterinary drug but party-goers consume it for “a quick kick”.