Copyright republicworld
Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has dealt a major blow to the narcotics trade by seizing 4.7 kgs of cocaine valued at a staggering Rs 47 crore. The operation, conducted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), has led to the arrest of five persons, including the intended recipient and financiers of the smuggling operation.The DRI's Mumbai unit acted on specific intelligence, intercepting a female passenger arriving from Colombo and conducting a thorough examination of her baggage. The search yielded nine pouches of a white powdery substance concealed inside coffee packets, which tested positive for cocaine using the NDPS field test kit. The arrested accused have been identified as part of a well-organised syndicate involved in financing, logistics, collection, and distribution of cocaine. Two of the accused, Roop Singh Chauhan and Abhijeet Singh Chauhan, are notable figures with questionable pasts. Roop Singh Chauhan, a former operator of pharmaceutical firms and a B Tech graduate, is currently out on bail in a 2021 NDPS case. Abhijeet Singh Chauhan, a former official of the Indian Red Cross Society and a B Pharm graduate, has also been linked to the illicit trade.According to the DRI officials, the operation is part of a larger crackdown on narcotics trafficking in India. Earlier this month, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted an allegedly illegal manufacturing plant of Alprazolam in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam, seizing around 13.7 kgs of the substance worth Rs 3.44 crore. The NCB's efforts are in line with the government's vision of a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ or a drug-free India, as asserted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The DRI has reaffirmed its resolve to build a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ by disrupting narcotics supply chains, dismantling international trafficking syndicates, and safeguarding the nation's health, security, and future. The agency's efforts have been instrumental in keeping the country safe from the scourge of narcotics.
