African woman held with 16.5kg psychotropic drug at Delhi airport

New Delhi: A woman from Malawi, an east African country, who allegedly tried to flee to Mumbai from the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday, was caught

New Delhi: A woman from Malawi, an east African country, who allegedly tried to flee to Mumbai from the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday, was caught with 16.5kg methaqualone, a psychotropic drug, worth ₹8.25 crore. The contraband was found hidden in 33 wallets she was carrying in her luggage, posing as a trader.

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A senior officer said they suspect the woman was to deliver each of these drug-concealed wallets to different clients. The woman and the narcotics substance were handed over to the customs wing.

Methaqualone was used as a recreational drug in the 1960s and 1970s, known variously as “ludes” or “sopers” in the United States and “mandrakes” and “mandies” in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The substance was later banned by most countries as it is abused as a date rape drug, officials said.

According to the officials from the Central Industrial Security Force, at 8.50pm Monday, their personnel zeroed in on a woman whose movements looked suspicious. “Our team approached her and an enquiry revealed that she was scheduled to board an Air India flight to Mumbai. She introduced herself as Mervis Steven Chiponde, from Malawi. Further, she revealed that she was to catch a flight to Nairobi from Mumbai. Since her travel itinerary seemed suspicious, our team asked her to cooperate for a detailed baggage scanning and frisking,” a senior CISF officer, who did not wish to be named, said.

“While scanning her two bags, our staff saw some suspicious images and the bags were referred for a physical check. We recovered 33 women’s wallets from the two bags. When these 33 wallets were checked manually, we found false cavities in which a white powdery substance was stuffed. From each purse, we recovered at least 500 grams of powder, total weighing 16.5kg,” the officer said.

The officer said when questioned, the woman said she was on a business trip and that she was carrying wallets for being sold in Nairobi. “When we asked her about the white powder, she feigned ignorance. She said she had been asked to deliver these wallets to different clients once she reached Nairobi. We suspect she was a carrier and was promised a hefty sum to deliver the consignment uncaught,” the officer said.

Assistant inspector general, CISF, Hemendra Singh said when his team tested the recovered white powder, it tested positive for methaqualone. “We informed the customs at the Delhi airport and the foreign passenger along with the contraband worth approximately ₹8.25 crore in the international market, was handed over to customs for further action,” Singh said.