Kenyan national held at Bengaluru airport for possessing cocaine worth ₹30 crore

The Kenyan national who travelled from Doha to Bengaluru on Friday by an Indigo flight was intercepted at Bengaluru airport.

Published on: Jul 13, 2024, 13:30:03 IST

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A Kenyan national was arrested at the international airport here after she was allegedly found in possession of cocaine worth ₹30 crore, officials said on Saturday. The arrest was made based on specific intelligence received by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) of Bengaluru zonal unit, they said.

Packets containing off-white coloured powdered substance, weighing three kgs valued at 30 crore were found to be concealed in the false bottom of the check-in luggage. (Christoph Hard/Geisler-Fotopress/picture alliance )

According to officials, the Kenyan national who travelled from Doha to Bengaluru on Friday by an Indigo flight was intercepted at Bengaluru airport by officers of DRI after elaborate surveillance.

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On detailed examination of the passenger's baggage, packets containing off-white coloured powdered substance, weighing three kgs valued at 30 crore were found to be concealed in the false bottom of the check-in luggage, a senior official said.

"The powdered substance, was tested positive for Cocaine as per field testing kit. The passenger was arrested under the provisions of NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, 1985. Further investigation is under progress," he said.

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In another incident, sleuths of DRI intercepted two Indian lady passengers at Bengaluru International Airport coming from Bangkok, on July 5, who were suspected to be carrying contraband items. On systematic search of their bags, they were found to contain silver coloured packets.

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A greenish substance in lumpy form was recovered from all the packets was found to be hydronic weed, he said. The packets weighing 3.2 kg , valued at ₹3 crore have been seized and the passengers were arrested and remanded to judicial custody, under the provisions of the NDPS Act," the official added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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