Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111961101000.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

197 kg of ketamine hydrochloride seized

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized 197 kg of ketamine hydrochloride from an export consignment to Malaysia at the Chennai airport on Monday.

The drug was valued at more than Rs. 20 crore in the international market.

An official release said that based on specific intelligence, the consignment, declared as Bangalore onions, was checked and found to contain 988 bamboo baskets.

While 920 baskets had the onions, the rest were found stuffed with plastic packets, resembling onions.

The authorities found 13,660 onion-like plastic packets that contained the drug.

Since August 2006, the DRI, Chennai, has seized 460 kg of ketamine hydrochloride, valued at Rs. 46 crore in the international market.