Drugs worth Rs 56 lakh seized from two vehicles, 5 nabbed

Acting on specific intelligence that two vehicles were carrying contraband items in violation of the NDPS Act, 1985, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ludhiana zonal unit, intercepted the vehicles near the Shambhu Border toll, GT Road, Patiala.

Searching of the vehicles resulted in recovery of 111 packets containing cannabis (ganja) (59 from one vehicle and 52 from the other) wrapped in brown tapes individually. The packets were found concealed in specially made cavities beneath seats of the cars.

Five persons carrying the contraband in the seized vehicles were arrested from the spot. The recovered 111 packets contained 187 kg of ganja, having value of around Rs 56 lakh. Further investigation in the matter is in progress.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence is the apex anti-smuggling agency, working under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance, Central Government. It excels in detecting and curbing smuggling of contraband, including drug trafficking and illicit international trade in wildlife and environmentally sensitive items, as well as combating commercial frauds related to international trade and evasion of customs duty.