Chennai: A 40-year-old South African national was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 22 kgs of Ephedrine, a controlled drug substance worth Rs one crore here, NCB officials said today.    

Acting on a tip off that the chemical substance was being smuggled in a train from New Delhi to Chennai, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials intercepted Dilliah Edina here and seized the drug that was in her possession.    

"The seized controlled substance was factory sealed in 44 food tins weighing 22kgs of Ephedrine worth Rs one crore," Narcotics Control Bureau, Zonal Director, A Bruno said in an official release here. The woman, on her maiden visit to India last month had stayed in South West Delhi and was travelling to Chennai in a Tamil Nadu Express Train to board a flight to Zambia.  

The seized contraband is illegally used to manufacture methamphetamine, which is sold to consume as a party drug, the release said. This is the second incident after another seizure in June in which the officials seized 15 kgs of Pseudo Ephedrine drug from a South African national at the Chennai airport which was destined to Johannesburg, South Africa.PTI