Page 54 - DRI ANNUAL REPORT EBOOK

Figure 9: Ephedrine manufacturing factory busted by DRI in March 2020
As part of international efforts against transnational trade of illicit drugs, DRI successfully passed on intelligence to Australian Border Force in 2019 leading to seizure of 25 kg of pseudoephedrine concealed in a packet of sweets sent from India to Australia. Such seizures reinforce the widespread existence of manufacturing units of synthetic drugs in India.
The mandate of DRI doesn’t end with the filing of complaint in relation to the seizure of the substances covered under NDPS Act, 1985. The officers of DRI also actively pursue the trial proceedings so that the offenders who are involved in drug menace are convicted for their deeds in the court of law, which has a real deterrent effect. Credibility of DRI as a drug law enforcement agency is because drug traffickers believe that DRI cases culminate in conviction.
In May 2019, when Hon’ble Sessions Court, Jalgaon pronounced rigorous imprisonment to 7 persons for 12 years in a case of illegal manufacturing of 1200 kg of Ketamine HCL, the face of the officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Mumbai lit up with a sense of satisfaction and pride. This was a prestigious case for them as it was one of the biggest seizures of drugs in Western India. The seizure was made in December, 2013. This meticulously handled case had its connections in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Trichy with its epicentre being Jalgaon, a town in Central Maharashtra. In a marathon trial proceeding which ran for almost two years and involved examination of around 100 witnesses, the officers doggedly pursued the trial and their efforts bore fruit eventually.
While team DRI has been executing its mandate professionally, but the huge seizures across India also show that the situation of drug trafficking is quite alarming. This demands a continuous effort on part of DRI and other drug law enforcement agencies to keep the country safe and its citizen healthy.
20 SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT 2019-20