DRI seizes over 2,000 kg cannabis in Meghalaya

In one of the biggest drug seizures, DRI officials confiscated over 2,000 kg of cannabis near here, according to an official statement issued today.
Acting on input, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a truck at Diengpasoh and recovered 2,058 kg of ganja (cannabis) concealed in corrugated paper cartons and covered with tarpaulin.
The DRI officials were assisted by officers of 123rd Battalion of the Border Security Force and Shillong Customs.
The driver of the vehicle, who hails from Patna in Bihar, has been arrested, the statement from the DRI read.
"Primarily, it has been found that the contraband was sourced from Tripura and was destined for Kolkata," it read.

The value of the contraband, which was seized on Saturday, is over Rs 1 crore, according to a DRI official.

This is one of the biggest cases in the recent past and is a major breakthrough in efforts of the DRI to combat smuggling and trafficking of narcotics and psychoactive substances, the statement read.
The traffickers appear to be part of an organised cartel and it is expected that the case would have a deterrent effect, it said.
Also, over 1.81 lakh bottles of codeine-based cough syrups have been seized in five separate cases.
As many as 7,500 kg of ganja has been seized by the DRI. Of this, about 6,450 kg of dry cannabis was recovered in Assam in six separate cases.

In West Bengal, around 1,050 kg of dry cannabis has been seized from Kolkata and Berhampore in two separate cases.
Most of the Cannabis emanates from the Manipur-Tripura region and is destined for other regions of the country, it said.
As many as 26 alleged smugglers or carriers have been arrested by the DRI from the region, it said.