In a major breakthrough in a long-pending narcotics case, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chennai, arrested Siluvairaj, a key figure in an international drug trafficking syndicate, on July 28, 2025. The accused had been evading arrest for nearly three years after fleeing the country following the interception of a significant consignment of hashish oil in November 2022.
The case dates back to November 2022, when NCB Chennai, acting on specific intelligence inputs, intercepted a Tata Sumo Victa on the state highway connecting Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin. Upon inspection, officials discovered 4.440 kilograms of hashish oil concealed inside the vehicle. The two occupants of the vehicle, both residents of Tuticorin, were immediately detained. During interrogation, the detainees revealed that they had been engaged by a man named Siluvairaj, a resident of Ramanathapuram, to transport the contraband to Tuticorin. From there, the drugs were to be trafficked across the sea to Sri Lanka.
Realizing the arrest of his accomplices, Siluvairaj fled India and remained at large despite multiple attempts by enforcement agencies to trace him. However, the NCB continued its diligent investigation, identifying and arresting four other individuals connected to the syndicate. All four are currently in judicial custody, and the case is under trial before the Principal District Judge (Special Court for EC & NDPS Act cases) in Madurai.
Despite the passage of time, NCB Chennai maintained its vigilance, tracking the movements of the absconding accused. Their efforts bore fruit when Siluvairaj finally returned to Chennai, where he was swiftly apprehended on July 28, 2025. His arrest marks a significant milestone in the case and reaffirms the agency’s commitment to dismantling organized drug trafficking networks operating within and across India’s borders.
The NCB emphasized that this arrest demonstrates its resolve to pursue every lead and bring every perpetrator to justice, irrespective of how long it takes. The bureau also urged citizens to support its ongoing efforts to create a Drug-Free India. Members of the public can report any information related to drug trafficking by calling the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933. The identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential.
This successful operation not only strengthens the legal proceedings against the syndicate but also sends a strong message to drug traffickers operating under the assumption that they can escape justice.
