DRI seizes 20 kg methamphetamine tablets from hidden truck cavity in Assam
Hyderabad: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 20 kg of suspected methamphetamine tablets from a specially fabricated cavity in a tipper truck in Assam’s Cachar district. The joint operation with the 38 Battalion of Assam Rifles also led to one arrest on November 12, 2026.
Acting on intelligence inputs, DRI officers intercepted a Tata tipper truck near Borkhola in Cachar district. During a detailed inspection, they sought assistance from a mechanic to examine the vehicle. The team then detected a concealed cavity in the upper inner portion of the truck’s right-side panel. Signs of cutting and welding showed that the panel had been modified. However, cement and paint had concealed the alterations.
After opening the cavity, officers recovered 32 packets of pinkish-orange tablets suspected to be methamphetamine, commonly known as yaba. The consignment contained 17 brick-shaped packets weighing 1 kg each. It also included 15 rectangular packets weighing 200 grams each. Together, the packets weighed 20 kg.
Methamphetamine tablets hidden behind truck panel
Preliminary field tests on representative samples indicated the presence of amphetamine. Officers conducted the tests using an NDPS Field Detection Kit. Subsequently, they seized the tablets and the truck under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The truck’s occupant was also arrested under the Act.
The operation exposed a concealment method involving a specially fabricated cavity inside the tipper truck’s side panel. The opening had been covered with cement and paint, apparently to avoid detection during routine checks. The discovery came during a detailed inspection with a mechanic’s assistance.
Meanwhile, the DRI said it remained committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks. It said sustained intelligence-led operations and cooperation with other agencies would continue to curb the movement of illicit narcotics through the North Eastern region. The seizure forms part of its ongoing crackdown on contraband trafficking in the region.
