Narcotics substance worth over Rs 3 crore seized

Over Rs 3 crore worth methaqualone, a narcotics substance which was being smuggled

to Australia, has been seized here, the Customs department said on Monday.

Methaqualone, a Customs release said, is a central nervous depressant that acts as a sedative and hypnotic.

The seizure was made on Sunday on the basis of information that a parcel containing drugs was likely to be

smuggled out of the country through courier in the guise of apparel accessories, it said.

The Air Customs' courier intelligence unit examined a parcel at a courier warehouse in the city that was declared

as ribbon rolls and apparel accessories. Within the rolls, 57 plastic pouches containing a

"white crystalline" powder were found concealed and tests revealed 'prima facie' it was methaqualone, and weighed 6.8

kg, the release said. The contraband was valued at Rs 3.4 crore.

"The parcel was found booked by a city-based person and was consigned to Australia," it said,

Efforts were on to apprehend the consignor, whose address was found to be fake, and find the source of the drug.

"The drug takes 30 minutes to kick in and its effects can last up to eight hours," the release said, adding the drug

was made 'famous' in the 1970s by a popular rock band and a Hollywood movie.