2.7K nabbed in past eight months for drug peddling

Chennai: Anti-Narcotic Intelligence Unit (ANIU) of the city police arrested 2,774 people, including college students, previous offenders, and junior artistes, for narcotics peddling in 1,004 cases in the past eight months.

The unit, headed by an assistant commissioner of police (ACP), has two inspectors, five sub-inspectors, and 30 police personnel. It was formed to curb synthetic drug networks in the city.

The team found 71 active networks involved in the smuggling and peddling of methamphetamine, leading to the arrest of 464 people, police said. Tracking the network, police found them operating from Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, selling meth through their agents in the city.

Two weeks ago, eight foreign nationals — seven Nigerians and one Sudanese national—were arrested in two cases recently registered in Anna Salai and Triplicane police limits. Twenty Nigerians, a Cameroon national, and a Sudan national were arrested for peddling meth, police said.

Other major busts by the ANIU include the seizure of 17 crore worth of meth in Dec 2024, in which 12 people were arrested.