Chennai Police Continue Crackdown On Methamphetamine Racket; Makes Anothe Arrest

(MENAFN- IANS) Chennai, Feb 15 (IANS) The Greater Chennai Police have arrested a 26-year-old man from Royapettah for his involvement in smuggling methamphetamine and distributing it among young people in the city.

The accused, identified as Bala Hari Niva, was taken into custody after police seized around a gram of methamphetamine from him.

His arrest follows a series of operations targeting drug syndicates in Chennai.

According to police sources, Niva was apprehended based on information provided by previously arrested drug smugglers.

On February 7, police arrested four individuals linked to the methamphetamine trade.

The arrested were Baijur Rahman (33) from Puducherry, S. Kirubakaran (28) from Avadi, Kodavathi Kandi Sunil Babu (23) from Thirumullaivoyal, B. Akash (27) from Kancheepuram.

During their arrest, authorities seized 3.6 grams of methamphetamine, 90 grams of ganja, a car, a two-wheeler, and four mobile phones, including an iPhone.

The confessions of these suspects played a crucial role in Niva's arrest, and police are continuing their investigation to dismantle the wider network of drug suppliers operating in the city.

Reports indicate that Tamil Nadu has emerged as a major transit hub for international drug syndicates. Banned substances like methamphetamine and its precursor, pseudoephedrine, are smuggled to countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Australia, where demand is high.

In 2024 alone, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized meth worth approximately Rs 380 crore.

According to sources, these drugs were sourced from Myanmar and were en route to Sri Lanka.

Recently, Chennai police arrested a Nigerian national named Philip, who is believed to be the mastermind of a cartel smuggling methamphetamine into Tamil Nadu and distributing it in smaller quantities.

Philip was arrested by the Arumbakkam police, bringing the total number of arrests in this case to 12.

The other arrested individuals include Jeevan (39), Masthan (45), Jagadeesan (25), Satishkumar (33), Viswanathan (47), Deepakraj (24) ,Siddharth (25) ,Arul Kumar (28), Antony Raj (29) and Santhosh (27).

Police sources revealed that Philip admitted to ordering meth from Nigeria and importing it via courier and air routes.

Methamphetamine smuggling is highly profitable as the drug, which costs around Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per kg in Manipur, is sold for Rs 7 lakh in Chennai.

In international markets like Sri Lanka and Australia, the price skyrockets to several crores.

NCB sources report that meth is smuggled from Myanmar into Manipur, then transported to Tamil Nadu via human carriers on trains.

Once in Tamil Nadu, the drugs are hidden in vehicles and transported to coastal towns like Rameswaram, Thoothukudi, and Nagapattinam.

From there, local fishing boats carry out mid-sea transfers to Sri Lanka through the porous maritime border. Moreh, a town in Manipur near the India-Myanmar border, has been identified as a key transit point, partly due to its Tamil community. Investigators have uncovered links between Moreh and Chennai's Red Hills area, highlighting the vast reach of the syndicate.

Data from the NCB Chennai zone indicates a sharp rise in meth seizures intended for Sri Lanka, 12 kg in 2021, 66 kg in 2022 , 81 kg in 2023 while the data for 2024 is yet to be compiled, but authorities expect the numbers to be even higher. Investigations are ongoing as law enforcement agencies intensify their crackdown on drug trafficking networks in Tamil Nadu.

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