In a sharp, intelligence-driven strike along Tamil Nadu’s vulnerable coastline, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 137 kg of crystal methamphetamine and dismantled a suspected organised trafficking network. They arrested four persons in connection with a suspected attempt to smuggle the drug to Sri Lanka.
The seized drugs, worth over Rs 100 crore on the black market, are among the largest narcotics recoveries in the state’s coastal area in recent years.
During the search, officers recovered six duffel bags containing 27 silver-foil packets. Each packet weighed approximately 5 kg and held a white crystalline substance suspected to be high-purity methamphetamine. The material was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
In the course of a concurrent search of the premises of the suspected organiser, officers recovered Rs 10 lakh in cash, which they believe to be the proceeds of drug sales. Officers also seized two 4-wheelers and one 2-wheeler, allegedly used to ferry the consignment and break the logistical link between inland storage and the maritime exit route.
The four individuals arrested during the operation and connected to the organisation of coastal export, transit, storage, logistics, and remittance have been remanded to judicial custody. The operation has resulted in the removal of a large quantity of high-value synthetic drugs from the market and has also laid bare the various roles within the network, which was intent on exploiting the short sea distance between the eastern coast of India and Sri Lanka.
Mid-sea transfers remain the traffickers’ modus operandi because they are much harder to detect. A fishing vessel or small boat can meet up beyond the reach of coastal surveillance, and the consignment can be passed hand to hand with very little exposure. Nagapattinam’s location right up against international waters has always been of interest to the agencies that are monitoring the flow of synthetic drugs coming from further east or manufactured here and diverted out.
DRI sleuths are investigating to find the main suppliers, uncover how the operation was funded, and track down any remaining groups trying to restart the route. The cash and vehicles seized are giving authorities actionable leads, and those arrested are facing court proceedings. For enforcement agencies, this case shows that using real-time intelligence, quick coastal action, and coordinated searches can stop complex maritime trafficking before drugs reach the open sea.
DRI has reported several drug seizures across India in recent years, including cases with methamphetamine. The Nagapattinam case is part of ongoing efforts to stop networks that use coastal areas to store drugs before moving them by sea. Officials said stopping the drugs at these points keeps them from leaving the country and weakens the network.
By recovering such a large amount, the DRI has also shown that India’s coastline will not be seen as an easy route for traffickers. The synthetic drugs (methamphetamine, etc.) are very light, have very high margins and can be moved in very small packages as compared to the bulkier plant-based narcotics. This intercept is a clear example of the DRI’s ongoing effort to treat India’s vast coastline not just as a border but as a corridor which organised networks will continually try to exploit, a senior DRI official said.