The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Saturday claimed to have made the country's biggest seizure of over 1,800-kg pseudoephedrine from a house in Greater Noida and arrested three foreigners.
The estimated value of the seized chemical, along with about 2 kg of party drug cocaine, is around Rs 25 crore, sources in the NCB said.
The house belongs to an IPS officer, posted in Lucknow, who told PTI that he was "shocked and distressed" with the discovery and had rented out his place through a property dealer in Greater Noida.
The NCB stumbled upon the record haul of the narcotics chemical and stimulant after the grilling of a South African woman who was arrested by them on May 9 from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for allegedly carrying 24.7 kg of pseudoephedrine.
The woman was first intercepted by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
"Pseudoephedrine is a precursor used for the manufacture of Methamphetamine, a drug widely used in Europe and South East Asia," a senior NCB officer said.
"This is the biggest ever seizure of pseudoephedrine in India kept outside factory premises. As per our records, this is the highest ever seizure by any agency," he said.
Usually, such large quantities are always found in factories and not in residential or commercial premises, he said.
The woman's interrogation led the officers of the Delhi zonal unit of the NCB to a house in Greater Noida from where a total of 1,818 kg of pseudoephedrine and 1.9 kg of cocaine were seized on May 10, the officer said.
Two Nigerians, a man and a woman, have been arrested from the house apart from the South African apprehended earlier, he said.
The arrests were made under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.