In an inter-state joint police operation, the anti-narcotics wing of the Delhi Police and the Chennai city police nabbed two Sri Lankans and a Chennai resident from a hideout at  Poonamallee, on Friday night.

According to police sources, the three were part of a gang involved in international heroin smuggling.

The police, based on specific clues, zeroed in on the two suspects residing at a house in Narasimha Nagar near Poonamallee.

It is learnt, from Chennai police officers, that nearly 17 kilograms of heroin was seized from the two suspects, identified as Rafiq (60) and Toufiq (40), hailing from Sri Lanka.

The Chennai resident arrested in the case has been identified as Bharathi. His role is still being probed.

The arrests come close on the heels of a series of arrests by the Narcotics Control Bureau, which has highlighted the Delhi-Tamil Nadu-Sri Lanka nexus used by drug smugglers to smuggle high-end party drugs to several countries. The Delhi police will soon produce the suspects in court and take them to Delhi on a transit warrant for further investigations.

The Tamil Nadu intelligence agencies have also collected details about the two arrested persons and are verifying if they have any possible links with foreign agencies.

(TNIE)