New Delhi: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Delhi Police's Special Cell in a joint operation arrested at least three people and confiscated a large quantity of chemicals used in the production of narcotics, media reported.

This operation was conducted to dismantle an international drug trafficking network that spread across India, New Zealand, Australia, and Malaysia.

The alleged mastermind, a Tamil film producer, is currently on the run.

The arrested individuals were taken into custody in Delhi, where 50 kg of pseudoephedrine was recovered from their possession.

Pseudoephedrine, a precursor substance, serves as a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine, a highly addictive synthetic drug with severe health risks.

Despite having legitimate applications, pseudoephedrine is classified as a controlled substance in India, subjecting its manufacture, possession, trade, export, and usage to stringent regulations.

Violations of these regulations carry penalties of up to 10 years of imprisonment under the NDPS Act, 1985.

In Australia and New Zealand, pseudoephedrine commands a market price of around Rs 1.5 crore per kilogram.

Additional information provided by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) indicated Delhi as the source of these shipments.

To bust the network, a joint team of the Delhi Police Special Cell and NCB was formed.

After conducting intensive technical and field surveillance for four months, it was discovered that operatives in Delhi were preparing to dispatch another shipment to Australia.

The Special Cell conducted round-the-clock physical surveillance, leading them to a warehouse in Basai Darapur, West Delhi.

On February 15, during an attempt to conceal pseudoephedrine within a consignment of multigrain food mix, personnel from the NCB and Special Cell raided the warehouse, leading to the seizure of 50 kg of pseudoephedrine and the arrest of three people on the scene.

These three individuals hail from Tamil Nadu.

During interrogation, they revealed that a total of 45 shipments had been dispatched over the past three years, amounting to approximately 3,500 kg of pseudoephedrine valued at over Rs 2,000 crore in the international market.

The mastermind behind the operation, identified as a Tamil film producer, remains at large.

Efforts are underway to nab him to ascertain the primary source of pseudoephedrine.