DRI seizes 3.49 kg of cocaine worth nearly Rs 35 crore | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: The Mumbai zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Friday seized 3.49 kg of cocaine allegedly belonging to a Liberian national who arrived in Mumbai from Sierra Leone. The contraband was allegedly found in two bags hidden in the false bottom of a bag on the trolley she was carrying.

As per intelligence inputs, the passenger was intercepted by DRI officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Friday. During the examination, they noticed that her bag on the trolley was unusually heavy even after she emptied, DRI sources said. Two bags of white powdery substances were cleverly hidden in the false bottom of the trolley bag.

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

DRI has arrested the accused passenger and further investigation is underway to identify the alleged international drug trafficking syndicate of which she is suspected to be a courier. “DRI is committed to dismantling drug trafficking syndicates and protecting our citizens from the drug menace,” the source said.

In another case in September last year, DRI seized cocaine worth ₹9.73 crore in gray markets from a Brazilian national who allegedly smuggled it. The DRI intercepted the accused after she arrived in Mumbai from Sao Paulo, Brazil and is said to have eventually confessed to having swallowed capsules containing the narcotic substance, agency sources said.