Mumbai, Dec 21 (IANS): The Narcotics Control Bureau's Mumbai Zonal Unit has busted an India-Australia drug syndicate and effected seizures of a large quantity of narcotics valued at over Rs 3 crore, besides nabbing 3 persons, officials said here on Thursday.

In a strategic investigation based on previous probes, the NCB-MZU has laid bare the international network of operatives involved in smuggling of pharmaceutical drugs from India to Australia.

Following intelligence that a consignment was being prepared for despatch through an international courier, the NCB-MZU sleuths got into action, carried out a data analysis, identified the specific parcel, and intercepted it at the reputed global courier's office in Mumbai.

On opening it, the NCB-MZU sleuths came across a steel table but a closer examination revealed packets of drugs hidden inside specially designed cavities.

The packets were found to contain white powder and after testing it was confirmed as amphetamine, weighing nearly 10 kgs, said the NCB-MZU.

Further investigations were carried out to reveal the involvement of a suspect, identified as V. Singh, who was tracked and caught in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Upon sustained interrogation, he spilled the beans on the entire narcotics smuggling racket with specific details and named two other accomplices, P. Sharma and G. Mishra, who were also caught.

The NCB-MZU raided their premises and found a massive consignment of 9,800 Zolpidem Tartrate tablets and 18,700 Tramadol tablets - all estimated to be valued around Rs 3 crore - and the parcel was ready to be couriered to an international destination.

The trio was placed under arrest on Wednesday and sent to custody, said the NCB-MZU, and further probe is underway.

The investigations have unearthed how the accused were familiar with the functioning of international parcel/courier mechanisms, misusing official documents and were allegedly engaged in smuggling out large quantities of narcotics for over two-three years.