Massive drug loads seized in Vizag Port

March 22, 2024 20:01

(Image source from: Rtvlive.com)

Massive drug loads seized in Vizag Port:- As part of Operation Garuda, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained a shipping container at Visakhapatnam Port on Thursday. The container was suspected to contain a large quantity of narcotics. According to the CBI, the container was shipped from Santos Port, Brazil to Visakhapatnam under the name of Sandhya Aqua Exports Private Limited, a company based in Visakhapatnam. The consignee claimed that the container held 1,000 bags of inactive dried yeast, weighing a total of 25,000 kg. However, upon examination, it was discovered that the yeast was mixed with suspected cocaine. The CBI is currently determining the exact quantity of narcotics present. The operation was carried out based on information received from Interpol and with the assistance of Customs officials. The entire consignment has been seized, and an FIR has been filed against the consignee and others. The Customs Department had detained the shipping container, and a team led by Umesh Sharma and CBI DSP Kash Kumar Meena, supervised by CBI SP Gaurav Mittal, inspected it.

CBI Deputy SP Umesh Sharma filed a report against Sandhya Aqua Exports Private Limited and others for violating the NDPS Act. During the inspection, representatives from the company were present as witnesses when the consignment was opened. All 1,000 bags were thoroughly examined for narcotics, and the test confirmed the presence of cocaine/methaqualone. The company officials claimed ignorance about the composition of the product, as it was their first import of such kind. The consignment was confiscated, and the investigation is ongoing. The probe agency stated that this operation reveals the involvement of an international criminal network that imports narcotics by mixing them with other substances known as cutting agents. In the past, the CBI has conducted Operation Garuda based on Interpol information and has registered offenses under the NDPS Act to combat the global drug problem.