Chennai, Nov 18 (IANS) Tamil Nadu has emerged as a major transit hub for international drug syndicates with banned narcotics such as methamphetamine (meth) and its precursor, pseudoephedrine being smuggled to countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Australia, where demand is high.

Tamil Nadu Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have stepped up vigilance following inputs on the state being used as a transit point for smuggling of drugs.

In 2024 alone, the NCB and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized meth worth approximately Rs 380 crore.

Sources in these agencies revealed that the drug was sourced from Myanmar and was en route to Sri Lanka.

On Sunday Chennai city police arrested a Nigerian national Philip, believed to be the mastermind behind a cartel involved in smuggling methamphetamine into Tamil Nadu and distributing it in smaller quantities.

The Arumbakkam police has arrested 12 individuals in this case till now, with Philip being the latest catch.

The others arrested in the case include Jeevan (39), Masthan (45), Jagadeesan (25), Satishkumar (33), Viswanathan (47), Deepakraj (24), Siddharth (25), Arul Kumar (28), Antony Raj (29), and Santhosh (27).

Police sources reported that Philip admitted to placing orders for the drug and importing it from Nigeria via courier and air routes.

Methamphetamine smuggling is highly profitable, with the drug costing Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per kg in Manipur and fetching Rs 7 lakh in Chennai.

In international markets like Sri Lanka and Australia, the price escalates to several crores.

According to NCB sources, methamphetamine is smuggled across the India-Myanmar border into Manipur and transported to Tamil Nadu via human carriers on trains.

Once in Tamil Nadu, the drugs are concealed in vehicles and moved to coastal towns like Rameswaram, Thoothukudi, or Nagapattinam.

From there, local fishing boats carry out mid-sea transfers to Sri Lanka across the porous maritime border.

Moreh, a town in Manipur near the India-Myanmar border, has been identified as a key transit point due to its Tamil community.

Investigators have uncovered links between Moreh and Chennai’s Red Hills area, revealing the extensive network of the syndicate.

There is also evidence of the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) clandestinely operating in parts of Tamil Nadu.

In October 2021, former LTTE operative Satkunam alias Sabesan was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his involvement in arms and drug trafficking operations from Pakistan to Sri Lanka.

Despite the LTTE being defunct, its highly-trained cadres are suspected of participating in mid-sea smuggling operations, transporting drugs from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka and beyond to Malaysia and Australia.

Data from the NCB’s Chennai zone indicates a sharp increase in meth seizures destined for Sri Lanka, with 12 kg confiscated in 2021, 66 kg in 2022, and 81 kg in 2023. Data for 2024 is yet to be released.