Smuggling of heroin worth Rs 1526 crore: Sri Lankan origin main accused arrested

KOCHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested Sri Lankan origin Balakrishna Periya Swamy Pillai, 52, a native of Chennai, in connection with the seizure of heroin worth Rs 1,526 crore from two fishing boats near Lakshadweep. He has pleaded guilty.

An accused in drug cases and murder cases, Balakrishna was hiding in a flat in Chennai Nungambakkam.DRI has also seized some important documents from the flat. The heroin was smuggled from Iran to India and Sri Lanka under the leadership of Balakrishna. The DRI officials had been monitoring Balakrishna for a few weeks.

Balakrishna was brought to Kochi on Friday midnight on a transit warrant after being produced before the Chennai Egmore Chief Metropolitan Court. He was produced in the Ernakulam District Sessions Court yesterday and remanded for 14 days.

The Coast Guard and the DRI had seized 218 kg of heroin from the boats Prince and Little Jesus, owned by a Tamil Nadu native on May 20 after a 10-day mission. The heroin was kept hidden in a special compartment in the boat. 23 people, including Malayalees, were arrested from the boat.