South African woman held with ₹9-crore heroin in Mumbai visited multiple countries: NCB

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has learnt that the South African woman, who was arrested with heroin worth ₹9 crore at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) last week, had earlier visited multiple countries including Brazil, Malaysia, Mozambique and South America which indicate that she may have been professionally-trained to undertake drug delivery jobs.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has learnt that the South African woman, who was arrested with heroin worth ₹9 crore at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) last week, had earlier visited multiple countries including Brazil, Malaysia, Mozambique and in South America which indicate that she may have been professionally-trained to undertake drug delivery jobs.

For representational purposes only. (HT FILE)

The arrested accused, Khanyisile Promise Khalishwayo, 30, was produced before the court on Sunday after her one-day remand ended and was sent to judicial custody. Khalishwayo allegedly needed money as she was a single mother. After checking her call data records, NCB found several mobile numbers in her contact details who live in Mumbai and Kolkata. The agency suspects that they could be involved in an international drug cartel which allegedly deals in heroin, said NCB officers.

After scanning her travel details, it was found that earlier she travelled to many countries in South America and southeast Asia. South American drug cartel mostly uses poor women and it appears that she is part of the same syndicate, added an NCB officer.

Based on a tip-off, NCB arrested her on Thursday after she arrived at CSMIA from Johannesburg via Doha. Khalishwayo was carrying a grey trolley bag, which has a cavity. Officers found two packets of heroin concealed in the cavity and one packet in the bag. The total weight of the three packets was 2.960 kg. NCB officers claimed they also recovered 10,000 South African rand from her possession.