INDIA. Mumbai: The Mumbai Customs at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport recently seized 1,300 grams of cocaine worth Rs 13 crore, concealed in 87 capsules, swallowed by a Ghana national upon his arrival.
The officials said that the accused, Raymond Anane Kyeremateng (57), who was arrested on Friday, has been sent to judicial custody.
The accused was detained by officials of the Air Intelligence Unit of the Mumbai Customs on August 28. Officials searched his luggage, but they found nothing. However, suspecting that he had some narcotics contraband in his body, he was taken for medical examination at the Sir JJ hospital in South Mumbai on the same day.
According to the officials, he was admitted to the same hospital after the x-ray examination confirmed the presence of foreign objects in his stomach.
Over the course of three days, while he was in the hospital, he ejected the capsules. 1,302 grams of cocaine were found after 87 oval-shaped capsules were taken from him.
The accused was subsequently taken into custody by the Customs official and detained on suspicion of smuggling drugs in violation of the relevant provisions of the Narcotics, Drugs, and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
During interrogation, he revealed that he was given an air ticket and money to smuggle the drugs into India. He also admitted that he had similarly smuggled drugs to India thrice earlier.
The accused will now face charges for smuggling commercial quantities of the illegal substance because 100 grammes of cocaine is regarded as a commercial quantity under the schedule to the NDPS Act.
“The passenger from Ghana landed at the Mumbai Airport, where the customs officials intercepted him on suspicion. “During the search, officials did not find anything in his luggage, but during the investigation, the officials found that he had swallowed 87 capsules containing cocaine,” said a tweet from the Mumbai Customs-III handle.
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