Amritsar Customs seize drugs worth Rs 700 cr

Amritsar, April 24 (Agency) In one of the biggest seizures, the officers of Amritsar Customs, Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari seized suspected drugs of approximately 102 kgs concealed in a liqourice roots (Mulethi) consignment imported from Afghanistan by a Delhi-based importer. The consignment is one of the biggest hauls detected and seized by Amritsar Customs after June 2019 when, in one of the biggest cases in India, approximately 532.630 kgs of drugs were seized at ICP, Attari from imports of Afghanistan. The case was detected after the goods were subjected to X-ray scanning as per the prescribed examination procedure. Some irregular spots were seen by the alert duty officer in X-ray images in some of the wooden logs in the consignments.

The Customs officers opened the bags in presence of Panchas and other Customs staff. When all the bags were opened, some of the bags had small cylindrical wooden logs (not mulethi), which appeared to be sealed on both ends by saw dust mixed in adhesive material. Such wooden logs were segregated and packed in separate bags. These wooden logs were then broken open revealing machine-made cavity in each such log, which was filled with powdery material suspected to be narcotics substance, tested with drugs detection test kit both by the Customs as well as BSF separately and they showed positive results for narcotics material. The total weight of such wooden logs was about 475 kg, from which 102 kg of suspected heroin of estimated value of Rs 700 crore in the international market was extracted. Further investigation in the case is going on.