Drug crackdown in Chennai: NCB freezes Rs 12.33 crore assets, seizes over 2.3 tonnes narcotics in 2025

CHENNAI: Stepping up its focus on dismantling the financial backbone of drug trafficking syndicates, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chennai Zone, froze illegally acquired assets worth 12.33 crore in 2025. This marks a shift from routine arrests to sustained financial investigations to cripple organised drug networks.

In a press release, the Chennai zone said it prioritized tracking money trails linked to the narcotics trade during the year. As part of this approach, a Dubai-based hawala operator who facilitated drug trafficking between India and Sri Lanka was arrested while attempting to flee the country. Following his arrest, assets worth 2 crore linked to him were identified and frozen in April 2025.


On the enforcement front, the NCB Chennai Zone seized 2,362kg of narcotic drugs and arrested 46 persons during the year. Ganja accounted for the bulk of the seizures at 2,344kg, while 11kg comprised synthetic drugs. A major breakthrough came through a joint operation with the customs intelligence unit, which resulted in the seizure of 7.6kg of cocaine and the arrest of four persons as part of a pan-India operation.

Prosecution outcomes also showed improvement, with 15 cases disposed of during 2025. Of these, 11 cases ended in conviction, recording a conviction rate of 73.33%. The convicted accused were sentenced to 10 to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. Authorities initiated confiscation proceedings for properties belonging to the convicts, with assets worth 1.20 crore identified, and proposals forwarded under SAFEMA. The Chennai Zone also intensified its monitoring of darknet marketplaces, dismantling three major darknet cartels since 2023. Among these was a vendor operating under the alias ‘KETAMELON' in Kochi. Officials noted that the crackdown assumed significance amid the increasing use of darknet platforms and cryptocurrencies by youngsters to procure illicit drugs.

The agency urged the public to assist in the fight against drug trafficking by sharing information related to narcotics through the MANAS – National Narcotics Helpline (toll-free 1933).