DRI seizes 3.49kg cocaine worth almost 35 crores

DRI seized 3.49kg of cocaine from a Liberian national at Mumbai airport, valued at ₹34.96 crore, as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation.

MUMBAI: Mumbai zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Friday seized 3.49kg of cocaine from the alleged possession of a Liberian national who arrived in Mumbai from Sierra Leone. The contraband was allegedly recovered from two packets concealed in the false bottom of a trolley bag carried by the her.

DRI seizes 3.49kg cocaine worth almost 35 crores

Based on intelligence, the passenger was intercepted by DRI officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Friday. During examination, they noticed that her trolley bag was unusually heavy even after emptying its contents, DRI sources said. Two packets containing white, powdery substances were ingeniously concealed in the false bottom of the trolley bag.

“The recovered substance was tested with a field test kit, and it tested positive for cocaine. A total of 3,496 grams of cocaine with an illicit market value of around ₹34.96 crore was seized,” a DRI source said.

DRI arrested the accused passenger and further probe is on to identify the alleged international narcotics trafficking syndicate for which the she is suspected of having acted as a carrier. “DRI is committed to dismantling drug trafficking syndicates and keeping our citizens safe from the drug menace,” the source said.

In a different case last September, the DRI had seized cocaine worth ₹9.73 crore in the grey markets from a Brazilian national who allegedly smuggled it. The DRI had intercepted the accused after she arrived in Mumbai from Sao Paulo, Brazil and allegedly eventually admitted to having ingested capsules carrying the narcotic substance, agency sources said.