Mumbai DRI seizes Rs 24 crore mephedrone from bus; 5 held

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 16 kg of mephedrone which was being smuggled from Hyderabad to Mumbai in a bus and arrested five persons in this connection, officials said on Wednesday.

The seized contraband was valued at more than Rs 24 crore, they said, adding that Rs 1.9 crore in cash was also recovered from three of the accused persons.

Based on intelligence inputs, the DRI’s Mumbai zonal team mounted surveillance on two suspects and intercepted them in the early hours of Tuesday while they were travelling in a bus, an official said.

During the search of their luggage, the DRI sleuths recovered 16 kg of a powdered substance, which was confirmed as mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant, after testing, he said.

The contraband was being smuggled to Mumbai from Hyderabad, the official said.

After interrogation of the two accused, the DRI apprehended three more persons, including a middleman and a receiver, and seized Rs 1.93 crore cash from their possession, he said.

All the five accused were placed under arrest under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the official said.