DRUG TRAIL: Officials have seized 17 drug consignments within last 6 months headed for Beijing.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury hints Left, Cong may work together later.

After confiscating 17 consignments of drugs in less than a year’s time, authorities fear Chennai may have become a transit point for drugs being smuggled to China for the Beijing Olympics.

Within the last six months, officials have confiscated 12 large consignments of Ketamine worth Rs 8 crore and five consignments of heroin worth Rs 9 crore from the Chennai Airport.

Sources tell CNN-IBN that all the consignments were on their way to Beijing to cater to the huge tourist inflow for the 2008 Olympic Games.

According to officials, the drugs arrived in Chennai from north India and were on their way to Malaysia and then to the final destination in China.

“The smugglers take the shortest route possible to minimise the risks. Chennai is the most convenient for them because it is well connected to these countries and the time taken for transit is very less,” Customs Joint Commissioner K Engineer said.

While 1 kg Ketamine costs between Rs 15 and 35000 rupees in India, its international value is as high as Rs 10 lakh per kg. In the past drugs have often been smuggled from South East Asia via India to Middle East and European destinations.

But the recent seizures are perhaps a reminder that Chennai could have now become a major transit point for drug smugglers headed for China.

“Chennai is no gateway for drug trafficking. Ketamine does not come under the NDPS act and it can be used as a medicine also. But it is seized when it is illegally taken. But no major drugs like Opium ever come to Tamil Nadu,” Chennai Joint Commissioner (North) M Ravi said.

Ketamine is called the date rape drug. Because of its resemblance to sugar, it is not easily identifiable and is often used to spike drinks.

Now with the drug scare threatening the Olympic Games, measures are on to include Ketamine under the NDPS Act in order to discourage the smuggling of the drug.

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