Delhi: 2 Ugandans held for smuggling heroin

Customs officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport on Sunday arrested two Ugandan nationals for allegedly trying to smuggle 9.8 kilos of heroin into the country. Officials said that one of the arrested men is suffering from a heart ailment and he was promised a handsome amount in return of delivering the narcotics consignment in India. The man accompanying him is his cousin and both were traveling to India for the first time, officials said.

The two passengers were identified as Hamuza Sserugo, 34, and Umar Sebandeke, 36. The smuggling attempt came to the fore around 4am on Sunday when the two passengers landed at Delhi airport from Doha and were intercepted following a tip-off as they crossed the green channel.

They were both asked to cooperate for a detailed search. “During search of their checked-in bag, a total of 51 pouches, containing 9.8 kilos of white powder, were recovered. While 45 pouches were recovered from Sserugo, his cousin Sebandeke was found carrying six pouches. The recovered powder was subjected to chemical test that proved it to be heroin. The total value of the recovered contraband is estimated to be worth ₹68 crore. Both the passengers were booked under the NDPS Act (Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act) and the recovered drugs were seized,” said a senior customs officer from Delhi airport.

The officers said both the passengers had concealed the heroin filled pouches in a false cavity of their suitcase along the edges.

“Their questioning further revealed that Sserugo is suffering from a heart ailment. He said he was promised good money for his medical treatment in India iof he and his cousin successfully delivered the narcotics,” the officer said.

“It is being probed if the two men were connected with a bigger syndicate. They claimed that they needed money for the medical treatment of their relatives. Efforts to track their contacts in India are also being made,” the officer added.