Operation Chakravyuh: DRI seizes 24 kg of narcotics in Kerala

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Kochi unit, has seized 24 kg of suspected narcotic drugs worth crores and arrested five persons as part of the intensified anti-narcotics drive in Kerala under Operation Chakravyuh.

In coordinated operations by the DRI, substantial quantities of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including suspected methaqualone, methamphetamine, and hashish oil, intended for illicit distribution and trafficking, were seized at Kochi, Malappuram, and Thiruvananthapuram under Operation Chakravyuh.

Five individuals, including key operatives involved in trafficking networks, were apprehended under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, a statement issued by the DRI said.

The contraband was detected during different modes of attempted smuggling, including passenger baggage at the airport, concealment in courier consignments, and outbound export cargo.

The operation is part of sustained efforts to dismantle organised drug trafficking networks operating through international and domestic channels. During the last financial year, DRI’s Cochin Zonal Unit seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances valued at approximately ₹70.76 crore in Kerala and arrested 21 persons in connection with various NDPS cases, the statement added.

Earlier this month, the DRI arrested two persons at Kochi airport on charges of smuggling 3.50 kg of suspected methaqualone, a synthetic sedative drug, on their arrival from Bangkok. Around 20 pieces resembling soaps were found in two bags in their possession. While the accused claimed they were soaps, officials seized them on suspicion of methaqualone.

High drama unfolded during the seizure when one of the accused allegedly stabbed himself in the abdomen with a scissor in the Customs arrival area while officials were completing seizure formalities. He was rushed to hospital and was later arrested upon discharge.