The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), a unit of the Ministry of Finance, has seized a total of 15.59 kilograms of illegal drugs in three separate operations conducted between 29 and 30 September 2026. The seizures involved amphetamine, cocaine and heroin moving through different parts of the country. Five people have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Key facts
- Total drugs seized: 15.59 kg across three operations
- Amphetamine: 7.116 kg seized on 30 September at Ujjain–Dewas Toll Plaza, Madhya Pradesh
- Cocaine: 4.9 kg seized on 29 September at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
- Heroin: 3.574 kg seized on 29 September near Phillaur, Jalandhar, Punjab
- Total arrests: 5 people under NDPS Act, 1985
- Agencies involved: DRI and Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN)
The amphetamine seizure in Madhya Pradesh
In the first major operation, DRI and the Central Bureau of Narcotics intercepted a Mahindra Thar vehicle at the Ujjain–Dewas Toll Plaza in Madhya Pradesh on 30 September. When officers signalled the driver to stop, the vehicle broke through the barrier and fled. Officers pursued the car in a high-speed chase lasting approximately one and a half hours before stopping it near Bicholi Mardana in Indore.
A detailed search of the vehicle revealed an elaborate hiding place inside the spare tyre mounted on the rear door. Officers found 21 packets containing 7.116 kilograms of a whitish-yellow crystalline substance that tested positive for amphetamine using a field test kit. All three occupants of the vehicle were arrested, and both the drugs and vehicle were seized.
Cocaine found in chocolate tubes at Hyderabad airport
On 29 September, DRI officers based on specific intelligence intercepted an Indian passenger arriving from Doha at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. During examination of his cabin baggage, officers noticed seven chocolate tubes that seemed unusually heavy relative to their marked weight.
When opened, the tubes contained 207 light-yellow oval-shaped capsules concealed among the chocolates. Testing confirmed the capsules held a white powder that was cocaine. The total quantity recovered was 4.9 kilograms of cocaine. The passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act.
Heroin intercepted in car-pooling taxi near Jalandhar
In the third operation on 29 September, DRI officers based on intelligence mounted surveillance near Phillaur on the outskirts of Jalandhar, Punjab. After checking several vehicles near a bridge over the Sutlej river, officers identified a suspect travelling as a passenger in a rental car-pooling taxi.
A personal search of the suspect revealed three packets concealed inside a blue backpack on his lap. Each packet contained two smaller packets. Field testing confirmed the substance was heroin. A total of 3.574 kilograms of heroin was recovered and seized. The person carrying the contraband was arrested under the NDPS Act.
Concealment methods used by smugglers
The three operations reveal the variety of techniques used by drug trafficking networks to move contraband across India. In the amphetamine case, smugglers used a spare tyre as a hiding place. In the cocaine seizure, capsules were concealed inside chocolate tubes to avoid detection during baggage screening at an airport. In the heroin case, the drug was hidden in a backpack carried in plain sight by a passenger in a shared taxi.
What this means for you
These seizures demonstrate that major drug trafficking continues across Indian borders and within the country. If you travel internationally or by road, be aware that carrying or transporting illegal drugs carries severe penalties under the NDPS Act, including lengthy prison sentences. The operations show that airports, toll plazas and highways are monitored. Even if you are not directly involved in drugs, being aware of these activities helps protect public health and safety in your community.
What happens next
The five arrested individuals will face prosecution under the NDPS Act, 1985. The DRI statement indicates it will continue intelligence-led operations to disrupt organised drug-trafficking networks and prevent the movement of narcotic drugs across the country.