Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has busted an international drug smuggling racket involving the concealment of hashish in an international courier shipment originating from New York, United States, and destined for Mumbai, officials said on Wednesday, IANS reported. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, DRI officers seized 7.85 kg of hashish concealed inside a wooden-framed bathroom mirror.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

Based on the intelligence, officers intercepted and examined a suspicious courier consignment at the International Courier Terminal in Mumbai. The package had been declared as a framed bathroom wall mirror. During a detailed inspection, officers dismantled the wooden cuboidal frame and discovered eight concealed packets hidden within the structure.

Source: Nation Press

Further examination revealed that the eight packets contained 169 smaller packets filled with a blackish resinous substance of varying weights. The recovered material was tested with an NDPS field testing kit and found positive for hashish. The total gross weight of the seized contraband was 7,850 grams (7.85 kg), and it was confiscated under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

7.85 kghashish seized from the courier consignment (gross weight 7,850 grams)
169smaller packets found inside 8 packets concealed in the mirror frame
November 2date the intended recipient was arrested under the NDPS Act

Following sustained investigation, DRI officials identified and traced the intended recipient of the consignment, who was arrested on November 2 under the provisions of the NDPS Act. The agency has not named the arrested person in its statement. Officials said further investigation is underway to uncover the larger network behind the operation, identify other individuals involved, and establish possible domestic and international linkages of the smuggling syndicate. The allegations are a matter of investigation and are yet to be tested in court.

The DRI reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking and dismantling organised narcotics networks, saying such operations are aligned with the Government of India's Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.