Party drugs worth Rs 30 crore seized; two held by DRI

In one of the biggest drug hauls in recent times, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 500 kgs of Mephedrone, a party drug, worth Rs 30 crore in the street market, from a truck here. 

Extremely addictive with several debilitating side effects, Mephedrone was included under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on February 5 this year as a restricted drug.

“This is one of the biggest seizure of drugs in the country and certainly the biggest of Mephedrone,” according to a Finance Ministry statement. It is also the first case of Mephedrone’s seizure in the country after its inclusion in the NDPS Act. The DRI sleuths intercepted a truck here which was coming from Kurutuwadi area of Solapur district of Maharashtra on Friday mid-night after getting an intelligence input.

The truck was stated to be carrying a consignment of papayas, but a thorough search resulted in recovery of 13 sacks containing 500 kgs of the psychotropic substance Mephedrone, release issued 

on Sunday said.

The contraband was kept along with papaya and was concealed under the tarpaulin used for covering the truck, it said.