Country's biggest haul of pseudoephedrine drug in Greater Noida: NCB

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Saturday claimed to have made the country's highest seizure of over 1,800-kg pseudoephedrine kept outside a factory in Greater Noida and arrested three foreigners.

The estimated value of the seized chemical, along with about 2 kg of party drugs Cocaine, is around Rs 25 crore, sources in the NCB said.

The agency stumbled upon the record haul of the narcotics chemical and stimulant after the grilling of a South African woman who was arrested by them on May 9 from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for allegedly carrying 24.7 kg of pseudoephedrine. The woman was first intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force.

"Pseudoephedrine is a precursor used for the manufacture of Methamphetamine, a drug widely used in Europe and South East Asia.

"This is the biggest ever seizure of pseudoephedrine in India kept outside factory premises. As per our records, this is the highest ever seizure by any agency," a senior NCB officer said.

Usually such large quantities are always found in factories and not in residential or commercial premises, he said.

The woman's interrogation led the officials of the Delhi zonal unit of the NCB to a house in Greater Noida from where a total of 1,818 kg of pseudoephedrine and 1.9 kg of Cociane were seized on May 10, the official said.

Two Nigerians, a man and a woman, have been arrested from the house apart from the South African apprehended earlier, they said. The arrests were made under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.