Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 10 March 2025
Campbell Bay Police seized a suspicious package containing a psychotropic substance after it was discovered on the shores of 22 Km, Vijay Nagar Beach, Great Nicobar. The package, suspected to have washed ashore, was found by a local resident, who promptly informed the authorities.
Upon receiving the information at around 9:30 AM on March 8, 2025, Sub-Inspector (SI) Vinit Kumar Maurya, In-charge of Campbell Bay Police Station, alerted Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Aditya Kumar (DANIPS), who directed an immediate response. A police team consisting of SI Vinit Kumar Maurya, SI KV Abdul Salam, PC Ghanshyam, PC Bikas, PC Mikal Raj Xalxo, and PC Shahir, along with an Executive Magistrate, rushed to the location for investigation.
The package, disguised as a golden-coloured tea packet labeled “GUANYINWANG – Refined Chinese Tea,” contained a transparent plastic bag filled with a crystalline substance. A preliminary test using a Drug Detection Kit confirmed it to be a psychotropic substance. The total weight of the contraband was found to be 615 grams.
Following standard procedure, the police sealed the package on-site in the presence of Tehsildar C.S. Pillai (Executive Magistrate) and independent witnesses. The entire search and seizure operation was documented through photography and videography using the e-Shakshya system.
Authorities suspect that the package, like previous instances, may have drifted to the island’s shores due to oceanic currents. The seized substance falls within the commercial quantity category, leading to the registration of a case under Section 20(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.