In the country’s biggest haul of ketamine hydrochloride, worth more than Rs 20 crore in the international market, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 197 kg of the drug from a Malaysia-bound container at the Chennai port on Tuesday. The method used to send the consignment was novel - ketamine was packed in red-colored packets shaped like onions!

DRI officials, after receiving a tip-off about the concealment, checked a container named ‘Bangalore onion’ that was ready for shipment after Customs clearance. They found packets of the drug, placed in the corner of the container, next to some onions.

A senior DRI official told The Times Of India: “When we broke the seal and opened the container, we found 988 bamboo baskets inside. When we checked each one of them, we found 920 baskets stuffed with onions and another 68 stuffed with plastic packets resembling onions in size and color. There were 13,660 such plastic packets containing ketamine.” However, no arrests were made.

Including the latest seizure, DRI Chennai has affected seizure of about 460 kg ketamine, worth about Rs. 46 crore since August 2006. Ketamine is hugely popular in East and South East Asian countries.

Sources told TOI that ketamine smuggling through Chennai had been going on without much hindrance. The ketamine trade is more profitable than smuggling heroin and cocaine, also less risky. Moreover, the drug is still not included under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Though the abuse of ketamine - an ‘essentially’ veterinary anaesthetic - could lead to ‘near death’ experiences; still its abuse has been increasing at rave parties in South East Asia, Europe and the US.