The Mumbai Customs Department on Wednesday conducted a special drive to destroy over 600 kg of seized narcotic substances worth about Rs 500 crore and more than one crore cigarettes of foreign origin, an official said.
The disposal was done at a waste management facility in Taloja area of neighbouring Navi Mumbai, he said. These seized drugs included 293 kg of heroin and 50 kg of mephedrone with a cumulative market value of about Rs 500 crore, Customs principal commissioner (zone-3) Rajesh Sanan said.
Besides, more than one crore cigarettes of foreign origin, weighing 19 metric tonne and worth around Rs 15 crore were also destroyed, he said. The drugs, seized in various anti-smuggling operations, were destroyed as per provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Various agencies concerned had completed the investigation in all these cases as well as the legal formalities, a statement issued by the Customs said. The destruction of these items was conducted under the supervision of a high-level drug disposal committee and in the presence of representatives of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the Narcotics Control Bureau, it added.
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