The NCB had earlier stated that the seized methamphetamine – a extremely addictive leisure drug – was price Rs 12,000 crore within the unlawful market. On Sunday, NCB sources stated, “As the seized methamphetamine is of superior grade, we have revised its estimated market value to Rs 25,000 crore. In terms of the market value, this is the biggest drug seizure made by any agency in the country.”

An NCB official stated that this was probably the most “superior quality of methamphetamine we have ever come across in the illegal drug market”.

“The price of this drug depends upon its grade and quality. It is in high quality pure white crystal form. Hence, we have found that it would have a market value of Rs 25,000 crore,” the official stated.

Sources stated that the consignment was meant for provide in India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Seychelles. “We have arrested a 29-year-old Pakistan national, who has been working as part of the Haji Salim drug cartel. He had been part of similar international drug smuggling gangs in the past,” they added.

Although the NCB has beforehand busted drug trafficking makes an attempt by the Haji Salim cartel, this was the primary time that an Indian company has intercepted a “mothership” – a big vessel carrying giant portions of medicine.

NCB sources stated the methamphetamine was sourced from Jiwani, a port city within the Balochistan province of Pakistan, near the border with Iran.

“The chemical substance, pseudoephedrine, which is used for making methamphetamine, is easily available in the region. There are local laboratories there engaged in manufacturing methamphetamine. The substance is packed in packets and is loaded into small ferries, which proceed to motherships that are waiting in international waters. These motherships would sail only through international waters,” sources stated, including, “This particular mothership was also intercepted in international waters, off the coast of Kochi. The drug consignment was set to be handed over to various small vessels operated by drug mafia in India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. We have come to know that the mothership has been at sea at least for the last 45 days.”

Sources stated the mothership was sunk in the course of the operation, “but we could retrieve the consignment. The mothership was not in a condition to be towed to the coast. Hence, it was abandoned. The operation is still going on, so we cannot comment on the crew of the mothership. The detained Pakistan national was in a speed boat that was found near the mothership. He is believed to be from Baluchistan province. We have not recovered any weapon from the ship or the speed boat. Apart from the drugs, we have recovered a GPS tracker during the operation.”

NCB officers stated the seizure of the big amount of methamphetamine confirmed its rising demand within the drug market. “This substance is quick changing ganja. Methamphetamine is cheaper than cocaine, so additionally it is often known as poor man’s cocaine. There have been a number of situations of methamphetamine seizure in south India,’’ sources stated.

The seizure was a part of Operation Samudragupt, which the NCB had launched in January 2022, concentrating on the maritime trafficking of medicine originating from Afghanistan. This was the third main seizure by the NCB associated to maritime trafficking via the southern route within the final one-and-half-years.

The NCB had gathered data from DRI, ATS Gujarat, the intelligence wing of the Navy and National Technical Research Organisation. A complete of roughly 3,200 kg methamphetamine, 500 kg heroin and 529 kg cannabis has been seized within the operations to this point.