TN: Five arrested with 1.5 kg Methaqualone in drug bust in Chennai

Chennai, May 29 (IANS) In a significant breakthrough in the fight against narcotics, Chennai’s Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit (ANIU) on Thursday arrested five individuals and seized 1.5 kilograms of Methaqualone, a banned psychotropic substance, in the city’s Periamedu area.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a joint team comprising officers from the ANIU and the Periamedu Police Station launched a coordinated early-morning raid near the ‘My Lady Park’ locality.

The operation was part of an ongoing crackdown on the distribution and sale of synthetic drugs within the city.

The suspects - identified as Vijaykumar alias Manikandan (44), Kumar (36), Periyathurai (28), Rajesh (32), and Naresh (41) - were intercepted based on their suspicious movements.

According to police sources, the group displayed nervous behaviour and gave conflicting responses during initial questioning, prompting officers to conduct a thorough search of their belongings.

During the search, the team recovered 1.5 kilograms of Methaqualone, a powerful sedative-hypnotic substance that is classified as a controlled drug under both national and international narcotics laws.

Commonly known by its street name “Mandrax,” Methaqualone is known to induce drowsiness and has been banned due to its high potential for abuse and addiction.

The seized contraband was promptly confiscated and sent for forensic analysis. A formal case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Periamedu Police Station.

Senior police officials stated that all five accused are currently under detailed interrogation to determine the origin and intended distribution network of the seized drugs.

Authorities are also probing the possibility of a larger drug trafficking syndicate operating in the region, using Chennai as a transit point. The accused are expected to be produced before a magistrate court following the completion of preliminary inquiries.

Further arrests and seizures are likely as the investigation progresses. This latest operation highlights the Chennai Police Department’s renewed focus on targeting urban drug rackets and its commitment to curbing the spread of narcotics in the city.

--IANS

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