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NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown on a transnational narcotics syndicate, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has dismantled a sophisticated drug trafficking network stretching from Nepal to Sri Lanka via India. The multi-state operation, executed by the NCB’s Chennai and Hyderabad Zonal Units, resulted in the seizure of 77.60 kg of Hashish Oil and 2 kg of Charas, with a combined street value estimated at approximately Rs. 10 Crore. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the smuggling ring, including a Sri Lankan refugee, as part of the government’s ongoing “Nasha Mukt Bharat” (Drug-Free India) initiative.
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The breakthrough began on March 3, 2026, when NCB Hyderabad officers intercepted a Tata Safari Storme at the Raikal Toll Plaza on the Bengaluru–Hyderabad Highway. A detailed search of the vehicle revealed 2 kg of Charas hidden within specially fabricated cavities. The two occupants, residents of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, were immediately taken into custody. Interrogations revealed that the contraband had been smuggled into India from Kathmandu, Nepal, through the Sonauli border. The suspects further confessed that a much larger shipment of Hashish Oil had already been transported to Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu for maritime delivery to Sri Lanka.Acting swiftly on this intelligence, NCB Chennai tracked down the remaining consignment in Tamil Nadu, seizing nearly 78 kg of Hashish Oil and arresting three more individuals. Investigations uncovered a plan to transport the drugs through coastal waters using a fishing boat for a mid-sea transfer to a Sri Lankan receiver. In a coordinated effort with the Indian Coast Guard, authorities intercepted the suspect fishing boat near the International Maritime Boundary Line, effectively thwarting the cross-border attempt. Along with the boat, officials seized two cars and a motorbike used by the syndicate.Preliminary findings have identified a Sri Lankan national based in Sri Lanka as the kingpin who financed and coordinated the entire logistics chain from Nepal. This successful bust adds to a string of recent victories for NCB Chennai, which has seized over 970 kg of Ganja and other synthetic drugs valued at Rs. 12.5 Crores since the start of the year. As investigations continue to trace the financial trails and remaining members of the network, officials have urged the public to report any suspicious activity to the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933.
