Mumbai Customs dept destroys seized drugs worth Rs 500 crore

Customs officials with seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Pic/Mumbai Customs

The office of the Principal Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Mumbai, conducted a special drive for the destruction of seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as well as destroyed foreign-origin cigarettes.

A total of 343 kgs of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances consisting of 293 kgs of heroin and 50 kgs mephedrone with a cumulative market value worth Rs 500 crore was destroyed by the customs officials.

Besides this, around 19 metric tonnes of foreign-origin cigarettes having more than 10 million sticks and with a cumulative market value worth around Rs 15 crore were destroyed by way of incineration at Mumbai's waste management facility in Taloja.

A total of 600 kgs of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances worth Rs 500 crore was destroyed by the customs officials. Pic/ Mumbai Customs

The narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were destroyed as per provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

These goods had been seized during anti-smuggling operations. And follow-up action against perpetrators was done by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) along with various Customs Departments under the jurisdiction of Principal Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Mumbai.

Concerned investigating units have completed their investigations in all these cases and fulfilled the legal formalities. The NDPS destruction took place under the supervision and monitoring of a high-level drug disposal committee comprising of officers from different formations including officers from the vigilance section.