The Customs’ Port Control Unit (PCU) and Drug Enforcement Cell (DEC) seized 245kg of ephedrine from a consignment of spices on April 28, Assistant Collector of Customs Headquarters-II Muhammad Ali Asad Khan told the media on Monday.
Ephedrine is a precursor for the production of Methamphetamine and Amphetamine, which is a high quality synthetic drug.
According to the details provided by the Customs, a Customs Export Goods Declaration was referred by the MCC Exports to the DEC/PCU Headquarters of the MCC Preventive for carrying out a narcotics search.
When the representative of the customs agent approached the office of the DEC/PCU Headquarters for getting the consignment checked for a narcotics search, the customs documents were thoroughly examined by the PCU, which has been created under the auspices of the World Customs Organisation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
A team of officers from PCU and DEC headed by the Assistant Collector of Customs Muhammad Ali Asad Khan along with reached the PICT for a physical inspection of the goods stuffed in a container No FCIU-8840424. The cargo stuffed in cartons was accordingly taken out and it was found having “Kausar” branded spices.
Further examination of these cartons revealed that they included Kausar branded red chilli powder, coriander powder and biryani masala.
Some of the cartons were opened on random basis in order to make sure about their contents. One of the chilli powder cartons lying at the rear of the container was pierced with the help of a metal probe and a white coloured powder was found inside it.
The powder was tested with the help of a field narco test kit which gave results closer to one of a synthetic drug i.e. Amphetamine.
The container was shifted to the PCU/DEC Headquarters at the NMB Wharf. All cartons of chilli powder, coriander and biryani masala were ripped open and it was found that all of them contained 36 packets each weighing 250 grams. All the Kausar red chilli powder packets were stuffed with a pouch of foil packing printed with the brand name Kausar. Once the aluminum foil pouch was opened, some of them were found carrying double packing of transparent polythene packets stuffed with crystalline powder instead of chilli
Upon completion of recovery of all crystalline powder, the bulk was weighed and was found to be 245kg.
The exact description of the recovered material with two sealed samples each weighing 10 grams were drawn and sent to the Industrial Analytical Centre at the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi on April 30 for tests that confirmed that material was ephedrine.
An FIR was lodged with the Court of Special Judge Anti Narcotics, Karachi.
