10 kg narcotic substance seized

Coimbatore, Apr 27 (UNI) Sleuths of Customs Department have seized ten kg of narcotic substance concealed in a wood carved elephant and arrested a Sri-Lanka bound passenger at Peelamedu Airport in this connection last evening.

Department sources told UNI here today during the routine check they saw a passenger wandering in a suspicious manner. The officials checked his luggage and found a wood carved elephant. When they questioned him, he started giving irrelevant answers.

They 'broke' it open to find narcotic substance concealed in four polythene bags. The material was Ketamine Hydrochloride, a powerful hallucinogen widely used as an animal tranquilliser by veterinarians.

The passenger was identified as A Palanivel, native of Udayarpalayam in Ariyalur district, the sources said.

Earlier, 7.27 kg of Ketamine Hydrochloride was seized here from a Singapore bound passenger on February 7.

UNI KS DS HS BST1618