By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Chennai Zonal Unit, foiled a bid to smuggle a large number of tablets containing various psychotropic substances, to the US, by air courier in the guise of herbal medicaments and wellness products.On Tuesday night, working in a tip-off, sleuths of DRI Chennai, intercepted nine consignments at a courier office in Chennai. On finding that the consignment contained psychotropic substances prohibited under the NDPS Act, the officers seized the same. Immediate follow-up searches carried out at the mastermind’s address in Chennai and at the premises of a courier franchisee through whom the consignments were booked and routed, resulted in seizure of large quantities of similar tablets of psychotropic substances and potency-increasing drugs at different stages of export. The substances seized included Alprazolam, Diazepam, Hydrocodone, Nitrazepam, Phentermine, Zolpidem and Oxycodone (all psychotropic substances) as well as dubious cocktails of Tadalafil and Sildenafil (Viagra and Cialis). A total of 1.37 lakh tablets were seized. The drugs were being shipped for illicit use in the United States. Three persons have been apprehended in the case -- the mastermind of the syndicate, who was receiving these drugs from various suppliers all over India, packing and preparing them for export, in his Ambattur residence; his employee and confidante, who assisted in receipt, packing and transportation of the contraband; and a courier agent who he had taken into confidence for smuggling the goods out of India. All the three admitted to smuggling of psychotropic substances for financial gain. Investigation is in progress.

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