In a significant operation dubbed ‘Operation Garuda’, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intercepted a large shipment of narcotics masquerading as dried yeast at the Visakhapatnam port. Acting on intelligence from Interpol, CBI, in collaboration with customs officials, detained a shipping container.
While investigations are ongoing, initial suspicions suggest that cocaine may have been mixed with the dried yeast. According to an official statement, the CBI has detained a container containing narcotic drugs mixed with approximately 25,000 kg of dried yeast, with the exact quantity of narcotics still being determined. The container, which was detained on Tuesday, had been booked from Santos Port in Brazil for delivery to Visakhapatnam under the guise of a shipment belonging to a private company.
The shipper had purportedly declared the container to contain 1,000 bags of inactive dried yeast, each weighing 25 kg. An FIR has been lodged against the consignee and unidentified others. Authorities believe this operation underscores the involvement of an international criminal network engaged in the illicit importation of narcotics, often by blending them with other substances known as cutting agents.
“In the past, based on Interpol intelligence, CBI has undertaken similar operations and filed charges under the NDPS Act,” stated a CBI spokesperson. The entire consignment has been confiscated, and legal action has been initiated against the consignee and other involved parties.
