Chennai: DRI seizes large quantity of potency-increasing drugs meant to be smuggled to US

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Chennai seized over 1.3 lakh tablets of various psychotropic substances and arrested three persons. The accused were allegedly attempting to smuggle it to the US by air courier in the guise of herbal medicaments and wellness products.

On Tuesday night, DRI sleuths intercepted nine consignments at a courier office here. On finding that the consignment contained psychotropic substances prohibited under the NDPS Act, the officers seized them.

According to DRI, "Immediate follow-up searches were carried out at the mastermind's address in Chennai, and at the premises of a courier franchisee through whom the consignments were booked and routed which resulted in seizure of large quantities of similar tablets of psychotropic substances and potency-increasing drugs at different stages of export."

The substances seized included Alprazolam, Diazepam, Hydrocodone, Nitrazepam, Phentermine, Zolpidem, and Oxycodone (all psychotropic substances) as well as dubious cocktails of tadalafil and sildenafil (Viagra and Cialis). The drugs were being shipped for illicit use in the United States.

Three persons including the mastermind have been apprehended in the case.

Further investigation is in progress.