Crystal Meth worth Rs 7.6 crore seized from Nigerian women in Pune
Crystal Meth is very powerful and highly addictive central nervous system stimulant, valued at Rs 7.6 crore in illicit markets, from a Nigerian woman. The suspect woman was later arrested, was intercepted in Pune district while travelling on a bus between Delhi and Bangalore, in a joint operation with Pune Customs.
Officials from the Pune unit of the DRI said that specific intelligence received by DRI sleuths indicated that a woman foreign national would be travelling by bus from Delhi to Bengaluru, carrying psychotropic substances concealed in her luggage. Acting on the input, officers of DRI Pune regional unit along with officers of Pune Customs mounted surveillance along the Mumbai–Bangalore Highway in Pune district and intercepted the suspect passenger in transit.
Initial search of the passenger and her baggage did not reveal anything. Officers then conducted a thorough search of the bus which led to identification of her second baggage, hidden at the back of the bus.
A thorough search of the second baggage revealed six Salwar suits, each folded with paper cardboards specially designed to create cavities lined with polythene containing white crystalline substance. Total 3.815 kg of white crystalline substance suspected to be crystal meth was recovered.
Field testing confirmed the presence of amphetamine. The recovered drugs was seized, and the accused was arrested under the provisions of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Further investigation is in progress, the DRI officials said.
A coordinated investigation has been launched into the supply chain and distribution network and the suspected accomplices of the arrested Nigerian national, an officer said.
Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010.
Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune.
Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
ISRO job scam: Five held for cheating aspirants of crores
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police have arrested five people for cheating several job seekers by offering fake appointments in ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thumba. The accused promised jobs and collected over Rs 2.5 crore from several people. The arrested are Ramsi, 30, from Koliyakkode, Ajmal, 29, from Oachira, Murugeshan, 59, from Tirunelveli, and Vishnuraj, 33, and Suresh Babu, 50, both from Attingal. The scam began in March 2024 when a woman named Anjali, a degree holder, was introduced to Ramsi, the wife of second accused Ajmal, through a family friend. Ramsi claimed to be a mechanical engineer at VSSC and promised Anjali a job as an administrative officer at VSSC. The fraudsters demanded Rs 9 lakh for the post and Anjali paid Rs 8 lakh. She first paid Rs 2 lakh and later sent the remaining amount to Ramsi's bank account in multiple transactions. To make the offer seem real, someone claiming to be a senior ISRO scientist named Suresh Mathew called Anjali using the number of Vishnuraj, the fourth accused. He asked her to undergo a medical test and submit a report. In February 2025, the first two accused visited Anjali's house and gave her what they said was an appointment letter.
New Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Kerala govt targets whistleblower doctor with fresh charges over missing medical equipment
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what appears to be a witch hunt against Dr Haris Chirackal who highlighted major gaps in state's healthcare system, the government has come up with fresh allegations which could corner the urology professor. Health Minister Veena George on Friday said medical equipment worth Rs 20 lakh has been found missing from urology department, apparently putting the blame on the whistleblower. The minister said a departmental inquiry has found that medical equipment in the department was deliberately damaged or missing. The missing item is an oscilloscope worth around Rs 20 lakh purchased using funds from MP Shashi Tharoor's development allocation. The minister confirmed that a further departmental inquiry would follow, and a police investigation could be initiated if necessary. The administration hardened its stance just weeks after the government extended him support for publicly highlighting treatment crisis in Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College. The sudden shift in the government approach has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition and wide sections of the medical community. The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) has come out in support of Dr Haris, voicing concern over what they view as retaliation against a senior faculty member who brought systemic shortcomings to light. 'We hope the show-cause notice is merely a procedural formality to close the matter,' said Dr Aravind C S, general secretary, KGMCTA. 'However, we are apprehensive that the new charges may be aimed at silencing Dr Haris.' The association has warned of strong protests if disciplinary action is taken and has demanded that the inquiry report be made public. 'The government is trying to send a message that no doctor should dare speak out again,' said Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan. 'The same health minister who once spoke of supporting Dr Haris is now leading the action against him. They have twisted the situation to the point of accusing a whistleblower of theft.'
Indian Express
44 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Teenager from Bihar walks over 150 km with severed arm before rescue in Haryana
A 15-year-old boy from Bihar, allegedly confined and forced into labour at a dairy farm in Haryana's Jind district, walked more than 150 km with a severed arm before he was rescued in the town of Nuh on Tuesday, according to the police. The boy, who hails from the Kishanganj district of Bihar, told the police that he had been recruited under false pretenses and promised a monthly wage of Rs 10,000. Instead, he said, he was confined to a room, denied food and wages, and made to operate a motorised fodder chopper, which he says, caused the injury that severed his arm. Following the accident, he alleged that he was given medication that rendered him unconscious. When he woke up, he was in a dispensary, with a small amount of money in his possession. After falling asleep again, he woke up to find his money and clothes missing, and was allegedly asked to leave by a dispensary staff member. With no identification and unable to recall the exact location of the farm, he began walking home — toward Bihar, nearly 1,000 km away — before being spotted near Tauru in Nuh district by two government school teachers. 'He was walking barefoot in the rain and looked like he hadn't eaten in days,' said Arvind Kumar, one of the teachers. 'He seemed confused and very weak.' The teachers offered him food and took him to a nearby police post, eventually reaching the Nuh Sadar police station. Assistant Sub-Inspector Kamal Singh provided the boy with a set of his own clothes and arranged medical care at the Nuh government health centre. Doctors who treated the boy said the injury was at least two weeks old. The crude bandaging on his arm suggested that it had not been professionally dressed for several days. Police officials said that communication with the boy was initially difficult due to language barriers as he spoke in a dialect from the Seemanchal region of Bihar. However, the cops managed to trace his family through the Kishanganj police. His brother and other relatives, who work as daily wage labourers in Kaithal, arrived in Nuh later that evening and took him to PGIMS Rohtak, where he underwent surgery on Thursday. He is now in a stable condition. The Nuh police said that while they had considered registering a zero FIR, the boy's family ultimately declined to pursue a case, citing financial hardship. 'This is now a matter for the police in Jind to pursue, if they wish,' a police spokesperson said. 'We have done our part.' When contacted, Sagar Kumar, the Superintendent of Police in Kishanganj, said he had no knowledge of the case. It remains unclear whether the boy's family has since returned to Bihar or filed a complaint with local authorities.
