NCB records 128 per cent increase in narcotics seizures last year

When there were seven seizures in 2016, 16 seizures were reported in 2017, noted a senior NCB official. The seizure of cocaine also doubled last year. According to the statistics available with DT Next, a total of 8.8842 kg of cocaine was seized in four different incidents in 2017, while it was 3.695 kg in the previous year in two seizures. 

“Cocaine is a stimulant and a costly drug which is reasonably popular among the city’s affluent class. It costs Rs 5,000 a gram for the end user. The surge in the inflow and the seizure of cocaine were mainly due to the Colombian crackdown on drug lords. About 12 tonnes of a particular seized drug was destroyed. Many major cartels in that South American are hit and new players, who are not familiar with the ‘trade,’ are now trying their hands in bringing in cocaine to south India and 

getting caught,” noted A Bruno, director of NCB. 

Apart from the Colombian ‘crisis’, more vigil and increase in demand for party drugs seemed to have helped the central agency to improve their vigilance and performance. 

The available statistics shows that in 2017, the sleuths had seized 78 kg of ephedrine and 30 kg of pseudo ephedrine on five occasions. There was no seizure of these two drugs in 2016, but the NCB sleuths had then seized over 25 kg of ketamine. There was no seizure of ketamine in 2017. Both the years had witnessed seizure of a substantial quantity of ganja. In 2016, 376 kg of ganja was seized by the NCB, while they had seized only 326 kg in 2017. The last two years had recorded seizures of alprazolam tablets, while in the year 2017, there was a seizure of LSD, another popular ‘stamp like’ drug in party circuits.