Major DRI Crackdown: 15.59 kg of Drugs Seized and 5 Smugglers Arrested in Three Separate Operations
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has recovered large quantities of amphetamine, cocaine, and heroin during a nationwide campaign.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has intensified its crackdown on narcotics trafficking, seizing a total of 15.59 kilograms of prohibited narcotics across three separate intelligence-led operations conducted on September 29 and 30, 2026. Five individuals have been arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, during these operations.
In the first operation on September 30, 2026, the DRI, in collaboration with the Central Narcotics Bureau (CBN), intercepted a Mahindra Thar car at the Ujjain-Dewas toll plaza in Madhya Pradesh. The driver attempted to flee by breaking through the barricades, leading to a chase lasting approximately one and a half hours before officials managed to capture the vehicle near Bicholi Mardana in Indore. During the search, 21 packets containing 7.116 kilograms of amphetamine were recovered from inside the spare tire attached to the rear door of the car. Three people were arrested in connection with this case, and the vehicle was seized.
In a second operation on September 29, 2026, an Indian passenger arriving from Doha was intercepted at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Upon inspecting seven chocolate tubes found in the passenger's cabin baggage, officials discovered 207 hidden capsules containing a total of 4.9 kilograms of cocaine. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
In the third operation, conducted on September 29, 2026, surveillance was carried out near the Sutlej River bridge at Phillaur, on the outskirts of Jalandhar, Punjab. A search of a suspect traveling in a car-pooling taxi led to the recovery of 3.574 kilograms of heroin from a blue bag. The individual transporting the prohibited substance was also arrested under the NDPS Act.
The DRI stated that these operations reflect their intelligence-based approach to identifying various trafficking routes and new techniques used to conceal drugs. The Directorate remains committed to dismantling organized drug trafficking networks across the country.
