Drug was valued at Rs 1.5 crore in the international market. (Representational)
An African, involved in international drug-trafficking, was arrested here and synthetic drugs worth Rs 1.5 crore were seized from him, a senior officer of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer said on Friday.
Based on inputs from the Chennai and Bengaluru zonal units of the NCB, the seizure of 968 gm of Amphetamine and 2.889 kg of Ephedrine from the possession of Benjamin Sunday alias Antony was made on Thursday, said the NCB Bengaluru zonal director Amit Gawate said.
He said the drug was sourced from Mumbai for further trans-shipment to foreign countries through courier.
"The drug was cleverly concealed in a cavity specially designed in three wooden tie boxes, each box containing 165 grams of Amphetamine, two back-rests containing 237 gm and 236 gm of Amphetamine and two metal pulleys containing 1.811 kg and 1.078 kg of Ephedrine to avoid detection," the officer said in a statement.
He said the drug was valued at Rs 1.5 crore in the international market.
Sunday is married to an Indian woman from Chennai and he was involved in import as well as export of drugs, Gawate said. He was wanted in two seizures of 113 gm of Cocaine in September 2018 and 295 gm of Methamphetamine in September 2021 in Chennai, said the officer.
Sunday was also involved in the two international seizures of 800 gm of Methamphetamine and 559 gm of Methamphetamine in November 2021 in Australia, he said.
"NCB, Bengaluru Zonal Unit, has effectively neutralised one of the major African drug syndicates, which was operating in the southern regions in a unique and systematic manner, by arresting him," the officer said.