DRI busts novel attempt to smuggle 56 kg methamphetamine concealed with maize; two persons arrested

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted an intelligence-led operation at Nava Sheva Port between August 16 and 17, 2026, successfully busting a transnational drug trafficking attempt. The operation led to the seizure of around 56 kg of methamphetamine in powdery form, which was concealed by being mixed with maize in an export consignment bound for Saudi Arabia. Two individuals—the exporter and the transporter/freight forwarder—were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The concealment method highlights a novel modus operandi used by traffickers to disguise illicit drugs as ordinary agricultural commodities to evade detection.