CHENNAI: In a major drug bust, customs officials at Chennai airport seized approximately 5 kg of crystal methamphetamine, valued at around Rs 5 crore in the international market, from an unattended parcel lying in the cargo complex.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning in the international cargo terminal, located within the old airport premises, from where consignments are routinely dispatched to various foreign countries via cargo flights. Security personnel first spotted the parcel lying abandoned for an extended period in the cargo area. Suspecting it might contain hazardous explosives, they conducted a preliminary check, which ruled out any explosive material.
Following this, the security team alerted the cargo customs officials. Upon arrival, the officials opened the parcel for inspection and discovered a pale white powder inside. While the package was labeled as "medical chemical powder," the authorities grew suspicious. Their attempts to contact the sender via the phone number and address mentioned on the parcel proved futile, as both turned out to be fake.
Samples of the powder were promptly sent to a chemical laboratory in Chennai for testing. The analysis confirmed that the substance was crystal methamphetamine, a potent narcotic. The total weight of the contraband was around 5 kg.
Investigators suspect that a drug trafficking gang had brought the parcel to the airport with the intention of smuggling it to Malaysia via a cargo flight. However, it is believed that the gang abandoned the consignment and fled after their contact person at the terminal was not available and due to tight customs security checks in the area.
Customs officials have registered a case under the narcotics sections and have launched a thorough investigation. The probe is currently focused on examining CCTV camera footage from the cargo complex to identify and track down the drug smuggling ring.