DRI seizes Cocaine worth ₹79.5 Cr, arrests two passengers

When the women arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), DRI officials intercepted them and their luggage was put through a detailed examination in which officials found the cocaine illegally hidden in their bags

MUMBAI: Two Indian women travelling from Bangkok to Mumbai were caught on Friday trying to smuggle in ₹7.95kg of cocaine worth its weight in crores, said officers from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai unit.

DRI officials said the DRI remains steadfast in its resolve to build a Nasha Mukt Bharat, relentlessly intercepting narcotics

According to DRI officials, they had received a tip off, warning them about the duo. When the women arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), DRI officials intercepted them and their luggage was put through a detailed examination in which officials found the cocaine illegally hidden in their bags.

DRI officials found 22 brick-shaped packets of a white-powdery substance, concealed inside packages containing toys. A quick test using the DRI’s field testing kit revealed the substance to be cocaine, the officials said, adding that the cocaine was worth nearly ₹79.5 crore in illicit markets.

The duo were arrested and the contraband was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. A city court remanded the two to judicial custody on Friday.

“It was a major operation, foiling the bid to smuggle in cocaine,” said an official, adding that they were investigating a wider network involved in such drug trafficking. “The DRI remains steadfast in its resolve to build a Nasha Mukt Bharat, relentlessly intercepting narcotics, dismantling international trafficking syndicates and safeguarding the health and security of our country,” the official added.