DRI seizes drugs worth ₹17.55 cr in five separate operations

According to the DRI officials the five operations were conducted from Sunday to Tuesday and led to the arrest of 10 accused people

MUMBAI: Narcotics and psychotropic substances worth ₹17.55 crore in the illicit markets were seized by the Mumbai unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in five separate operations across Maharashtra. The major strikes targeted drug trafficking networks in the state including those in Mumbai and Goa.

DRI seizes drugs worth ₹17.55 cr in five separate operations

According to the DRI officials the five operations were conducted from Sunday to Tuesday and led to the arrest of 10 accused people. During three of the operations the DRI seized 1.12kg of Cocaine, 522.13kg of Cannabis, 3.15kg of Hydroponic Weed and 280g of Amphetamine.

In the first operation in Mumbai, based on a tip off, the DRI officers intercepted the food truck of a private airport catering company that was leaving the Mumbai International Airport. Upon inspecting the truck, officials found 3.15 kg of hydroponic weed which was allegedly concealed behind the passenger seat.

Investigations into the food truck led to the arrest of four more people, including an aircraft cleaning staff who would allegedly retrieve drugs concealed in aircraft toilet bins, the cleaning staff’s manager who would allegedly assign specific staff members to flights where drugs were concealed, and the main coordinator of the syndicate involved in the case.

The hydroponic weed, valued at ₹3.15 crore, along with the food truck, was seized under the NDPS ( Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act), and five members of the syndicate operating within the airport ecosystem were arrested by the DRI.

In a second operation conducted in Nagpur, DRI officers, based on a tip-off, intercepted a truck at the Bhagimahari Toll Plaza near Nagpur on National Highway 47. When they examined the truck they found 17 cartons containing 100 packages of ganja (Cannabis) weighing 522.13kg, valued at ₹2.6 crore concealed beneath the covers of a cargo consisting of coolers, table fans and blankets. The drugs were seized and two people were arrested by the DRI.

In the third operation, DRI officers intercepted a Kenyan national arriving from Entebbe (Uganda) at the Mumbai International Airport. She was found to have ingested seven capsules, containing 446 grams of cocaine, valued at ₹4.66 crore, which was seized under the NDPS Act. The passenger was also arrested.

In the fourth case, the DRI officials intercepted a Nigerian woman arriving in Mumbai from Delhi by a domestic flight. A detailed examination of her baggage led to the recovery of 673g of cocaine, valued at ₹6.73 crore. The contraband was seized under NDPS Act and the passenger was arrested by the DRI.

In the fifth operation, a Nigerian arriving in Goa from Delhi by a domestic flight was intercepted by DRI officers. An examination led to the recovery of 280g of amphetamine, valued at ₹22 lakh, which was seized under the NDPS Act, and the passenger was arrested.

“The DRI remains unwavering in its commitment to a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’, intercepting narcotics, dismantling organised trafficking syndicates,” a DRI official said.