In a successful operation, the Esplanade Police in Chennai arrested five individuals—including four men and one woman—on charges of smuggling methamphetamine (crystal meth). The arrests were made following a security check at a vehicle checkpoint near Mannadi on Thursday evening.
The police had set up a routine checkpoint based on confidential intelligence about possible drug smuggling. During the security check, two men riding a motorbike caught the attention of the officers. When questioned, the two men—Dinesh Prathap and Santosh—gave inconsistent and suspicious answers, prompting the police to search the motorcycle. The officers found 7 grams of methamphetamine hidden on them, which led to their immediate arrest.
Further investigation linked them to a wider smuggling network, and additional arrests followed. Praveen, Tejas, and Fathima, the woman involved, were also taken into custody in connection with the smuggling operation. The police also seized two motorcycles used by the accused.
This bust is part of a series of drug-related operations carried out by the police in Chennai in recent weeks. On October 24, the Chennai police arrested seven college students for operating an illicit methamphetamine lab in the city. This operation revealed that the group had set up a covert facility to produce the drug.
In another significant raid on October 29, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 2.7 kg of methamphetamine, worth around Rs27 crore, and arrested two suspects involved in the smuggling operation.
The string of successful operations signals the authorities’ commitment to curbing drug trafficking in the city. The police are continuing to investigate the network involved in these smuggling activities, with a particular focus on identifying suppliers and producers of methamphetamine in the region.