Cocaine worth ₹20 crore seized at airport, two foreigners held

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday busted an international drug syndicate by arresting two foreign nationals and seized 2

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday busted an international drug syndicate by arresting two foreign nationals and seized 2.8 kg of high-quality cocaine worth ₹20 crore from one of them.

Cocaine worth ₹20 crore seized at airport, two foreigners held

Based on a tip-off, the NCB sleuth intercepted a woman at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The woman was identified as Marinda S of South Africa, who had arrived from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

During search, the NCB sleuths found 2.8 kg of high-quality cocaine packed in eight plastic pouches, hidden in two pairs of shoes and purses, by crafting special cavities, said Amit Ghawate, NCB Mumbai Zonal Director.

On interrogation, Marinda revealed that she was to deliver the consignment to another woman, who was staying in a hotel in Andheri.

The officials then rushed to the hotel and kept a watch for the second suspect. When the woman, identified as H Musa, a Nigerian national, arrived, she was apprehended.

She initially refused having knowledge about the consignment, but eventually confessed that she was to receive the drugs, the officer added.

The NCB officials said that initial probe indicated the duo’s association with an international drug syndicate spread across various countries. The contraband was sourced from South America and brought to the city for supplying during year-end parties in the city and Goa.