Rs 300 cr in contraband drugs, equipment seized in Kolkata

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Kolkata, Nov 16: In one of the biggest hauls in recent times, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized Rs 300-crore worth drug-making materials and equipment, meant to set up a lab in New Delhi for making the contraband, from Kolkata port area.

Announcing the details of the seizure made from a container which arrived from Huang Pu port in China, NCB Zonal Director Sandip Mittal said the haul was unprecedented in this part of the country. The consignment was lying at a godown in Kolkata Port for nearly two months.

Following the seizure of the materials and equipment, the NCB arrested two persons, Kolkata-based Vincent Chang and Manipur`s Michel Suanpu both of whom were remanded to judicial custody.

The NCB made the raid on the port area following a tip-off from an international agency and intelligence input developed by it.

Although items declared in the bill of entry along with the container was `washing powder making machine and equipment,` when opened the NCB officials found a large quantity of white powder in polythene bags along with assorted sophisticated laboratory apparatus required to manufacture synthetic drugs.

The material, described as raw ingredient for making contraband drugs, and equipment were capable of producing synthetic drugs having an international street value of Rs 300 crore, Mittal said.