India, July 2 -- The owner of an Indian grocery store and his son have been sentenced for their roles in a drug and illicit tobacco operation uncovered by Australian authorities earlier this year. The South Australian pair was found to be importing and distributing opium - disguised in part as the controversial 'Ayurvedic' preparation Kamini Vidrawan Ras - alongside large quantities of illegal tobacco.

On June 26, they were sentenced to prison and received additional fines, according to a press release by the Australian Border Force (ABF).

The investigation began in January 2024, when Australian Border Force (ABF) officers executed a search warrant at the family's Indian grocery and takeaway shop in Plympton, Adelaide. Inside, they disc...