Chennai, Feb 9 (IANS): Six persons, including three Sri Lankan nationals, were apprehended by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) as it busted a major drug syndicate in Chennai on Tuesday, officials said.

A total 11 kg of amphetamine was seized from the arrested individuals from the Chennai-Gummidipoondi national highway during the early hours of Tuesday.

The NCB officers intercepted a goods carrier and found 11 packets of 1 kg each of the drug hidden on the vehicle.

The packets, according to NCB sleuths, were well concealed in a tarpaulin within a big machine in the truck and were difficult to detect.

On interrogation, the driver of the goods carrier revealed the details of the other five members of the gang and the NCB arrested all of them including the three Sri Lankans.

The NCB officers said that the arrested were planning to smuggle the drug to Sri Lanka as well as to other Indian states. The arrested included the financier, carrier, middleman, vehicle owner, and peddler.

"Sri Lankan nationals are getting more involved in the smuggling of amphetamine drug and according to the information we received, the source of this drug is Manipur along the India-Myanmar border. The gang has networks in Sri Lanka and other south Indian states for the past seven years," an NCB source said.