Customs seizes ecstasy pills worth ₹1.6 cr from Belgium and Netherlands

Air Customs officials have seized ecstasy pills worth ₹1.6 crore from two postal parcels that arrived from Belgium and the Netherlands at the Foreign Post Office in Chennai.

According to the officials, they examined the first suspicious parcel that arrived from Belgium and found an artificial leopard fabric and other items. Upon unwrapping the fabric, nine black pouches containing orange-coloured ecstasy (MDMA) pills marked as ‘Red Buli’ and ‘Heineke’ were found.

The officials seized 4,060 ecstasy pills worth ₹1.2 crore. They also reached out to a village in Kancheepuram district where the parcel was addressed. “However, the consignee address was found to be fake,” an official privy to the developments said.

Similarly, another parcel that arrived from the Netherlands was also examined and it was found to contain an inflatable pool, and snack and gummy bear packets. Upon opening these packets, the officials found two pouches containing MGMA crystals and methaqualone power concealed inside the inflatable pool.

“A total of 1,150 ecstasy pills, 100 grams of MDMA crystals and one gram of methaqualone powered worth ₹45 lakh were seized. A search operation was also carried out in Andhra Pradesh, where the consignment was addressed. It was found that the person had already been arrested in an offence of drug smuggling by Chennai Air Customs,”  the official said.

Chennai Air Customs have registered a case under the NDPS Act, 1985, and further investigation is on.