Banned drugs worth Rs 2.35 crore seized from Kolkata airport

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials seized 4.7 kg of methaqualone, a prohibited drug, valued around Rs 2.35 crore and arrested two persons at the Kolkata airport, an official statement said on Thursday.

The DRI said it received information about a parcel which had arrived at Howrah railway station from Chennai on the Chennai-Howrah Mail on Monday.

The parcel was collected by a man which was meant for another who would board a Malaysia bound flight at night.

Examining the parcel containing women's dress, the DRI sleuths found two flat packages of rectangular black PVC hard sheets covered with brown plastic tape ingeniously concealed along the width of the carton.

"Each of these sheets contained four plastic packets containing a white powdery substance. A total of eight plastic packets were found.

"On preliminary testing the white substance was found to be 'methaqualone', a psychotropic substance falling under NDPS Act," the statement said.

The arrested persons were produced before a court.

'Methaqualone', a central nervous system depressant, was earlier used as a sedative and hypnotic drug in some countries. However, this drug became extremely popular as a recreational drug in the rave parties due to the detached high it provided.

--IANS

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