Narcotics worth Rs 3.45 crore were seized by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch from parcels at the Foreign Post Office in Shahibaug. The parcels, which had arrived from the United States, Canada, and Thailand, were disguised as soft toys, protein powder, and food products to evade detection.
The seizure included 10.659 kg of hybrid ganja valued at Rs 3.125 crore, six bottles of isopropyl nitrite (25 ml each), 79 grams of charas worth Rs 3.95 lakh, 248 grams of MDMA worth Rs 24.80 lakh, and 32 bottles of cannabis oil (5 ml each). The total value of the narcotics is estimated at Rs 3,45,25,000.
The Crime Branch acted upon intelligence received from a private source, which indicated that drugs were being smuggled into India through parcels appearing innocuous.
Upon verifying this information with the Commissioner of Customs, a total of 105 parcels were identified and subjected to detailed examination on March 12. These parcels had remained unclaimed due to partial or incomplete addresses.
Following inspection, the Customs Department handed over the parcels to the Crime Branch, leading to the seizure.
Investigations revealed that traffickers utilised the dark web and online platforms to order the narcotics. The drugs were then shipped to incomplete or fake addresses to avoid detection. Officials noted that this method involved disguising the parcels to bypass security screenings.
A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Authorities are conducting further investigations to identify the recipients and dismantle the smuggling network.
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