The Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU) of the Greater Chennai Police seized 17 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at Rs 22 crore in the international market.
The operation led to the busting of a methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution cartel. Ten individuals were arrested, including a skilled meth cook who is a class 10 dropout and a convict in a previous ketamine smuggling case.
Police officials revealed that the seized methamphetamine was part of a larger operation targeting the production and trafficking of narcotics across the region. The arrests and seizures mark a significant step in Chennai’s ongoing war against drugs.
The ANIU of the Greater Chennai Police has seized assets worth Rs 5 crore and 15.8 kilograms of methamphetamine in a major drug bust at a godown in Vadagarai near RedHills.
Among those arrested was Lakshmi Narasimhan, a key suspect and a school dropout known for his expertise in producing synthetic drugs. Earlier this year, he was allegedly preparing methamphetamine on the terrace of a house in Aruppukottai, Virudhunagar district.
The operation began with the arrest of Venkatesan alias Rajesh and Karthi in Madhavaram, where 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, two cars, and a bike were seized. Follow-up investigations led the ANIU team to Venkatesan’s godown in Vadagarai, uncovering the bulk of the drugs.
Further interrogations revealed the involvement of Prabhu Shanmugam, who, along with another suspect, Murugan, sourced pseudoephedrine—a key raw material for methamphetamine—from Haryana and Myanmar via Manipur. The suspects then manufactured the drugs in a clandestine lab.
#BREAKING || சென்னை மாதவரத்தில் 16 கிலோ மெத்தபெட்டமைன் போதைப்பொருள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட விவகாரம்
அருப்புக்கோட்டையில் ஆய்வகம் அமைத்து போதைப்பொருள் தயாரித்தது கண்டுபிடிப்பு
மூலப்பொருட்களை வாங்கி வந்து ஆய்வகத்தில் வைத்து போதைப்பொருள் தயாரித்த அருப்புக்கோட்டையை சேர்ந்த முருகன்,… pic.twitter.com/Ua8JoBqBDn
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Acting on information provided by suspects Prabhu and Shanmugam, the police arrested Sahul Hameed and Lawrence in connection with a narcotics operation. During the operation, officers seized 128 grams of methamphetamine.
Further investigation revealed that Hameed and Lawrence had amassed assets worth Rs 8 crore through drug-related activities. The police have since attached these assets as part of their ongoing crackdown on the illegal narcotics trade.
#NewsUpdate | ரூ.8 கோடிக்கான சொத்து ஆவணங்கள் பறிமுதல்#Chennai | #Methamphetamine | #Drugs | #SeizedDrugs | #PropertyDocument | #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/SXV3vtB83h
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) December 31, 2024
Venkatesan’s associate, Sarathkumar, and his wife, Javesa Merida, were arrested by police, who seized 157 grams of methamphetamine from the couple. In total, the authorities confiscated 17.815 kg of methamphetamine and assets valued at Rs 22 crore. All suspects were remanded in judicial custody.
It was revealed that Venkatesan, previously convicted in a drug case in Patiala district, Punjab, had been sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released in 2021.
In a separate operation on December 21, CMBT police intercepted a car at Nesapakkam junction and found 7.5 grams of methamphetamine in possession of passengers M. Balaji, T. Vignesh, and T. Jaison. They were also remanded to judicial custody.
On December 24, Sriperumbudur police arrested Sadanand Pandey, the owner of a pharmaceutical unit in Pune, on charges of supplying narcotic drugs to agents in Kancheepuram district. Acting on a tip-off about regular parcel deliveries to a specific address in Sriperumbudur, police uncovered that the drugs were being distributed to guest workers and college students in the area.
In a separate case, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials seized hydroponic ganja worth Rs 1 crore from a passenger arriving from Thailand. This seizure is part of a broader crackdown, with the DRI confiscating 14 kg of hydroponic ganja, a potent variety of cannabis, valued at Rs 14 crore during December alone.
On December 23, the DRI apprehended a passenger carrying 3.6 kg of hydroponic ganja concealed in a compartment of his suitcase. Another traveler on a two-day tourist visa also attracted attention, leading to the discovery of 3.6 kg of high-grade cannabis. Both individuals were arrested.
In earlier operations, the DRI arrested a Chennai-based woman on November 21 for smuggling narcotics worth Rs 2.8 crore. On December 16, officials seized 7.6 kg of premium cannabis valued at ₹7.6 crore from a man who was subsequently taken into custody. The identities of those arrested have not been disclosed.
On December 23, the Tambaram Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) arrested three individuals—Chandan, Ballarsingh, and Anjana Digal, all from Odisha—for selling ganja. The police seized 22 kg of ganja worth ₹2.2 lakh from them during the operation.
In a separate case, police arrested two youths, Venkatesan and Karthik, on December 21 for possessing 1.5 kg of methamphetamine. Investigations revealed that Venkatesan had been procuring drugs from Nizamuddin, a contact he befriended while in jail in Manipur. After his release in 2021, Nizamuddin began sending drugs through a middleman to avoid detection by police. Venkatesan had employed youths to sell the drugs.
A disturbing trend involving law enforcement personnel engaging in drug peddling was also uncovered. In November, Thoothukudi-based Raghu and Arani resident Kannan were arrested, leading to further revelations. Authorities found evidence of drug sales involving police officers. Among those arrested was Surendra Nath, employed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), who, along with his accomplices, stole seized drugs to sell them through their network. Police officer James, who allegedly blackmailed individuals, was also involved in this operation. They remain in custody as remand prisoners.
Meanwhile, Trichy airport officials arrested Mohammed Iqbal on December 19 for possessing over 150 SIM cards, foreign currencies, an international driving license, and a Malaysian passport. During questioning, Iqbal admitted that the SIM cards, obtained through false documentation, were intended for use in cybercrime operations in Bharat. He is a proclaimed fugitive in a Rs 2.81 crore Haryana stock exchange fraud case and was handed over to Haryana police for further investigation.
