INDIA. Mumbai: In a swift operation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai seized a consignment of cocaine worth Rs 20 crore and arrested two foreign nationals at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, the NCB team laid a trap at the airport and intercepted a South African woman, who had travelled to Mumbai from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Consignment delivery from Africa to India
During a search, the team recovered 2.8 kg of the contraband in eight packets of different sizes, which were concealed in cavities made in two pairs of shoes and two purses. The drug was worth Rs 20 crore. The passenger, Miranda S, was taken into custody, the officials said on Monday.
On interrogation, Miranda S revealed that she was to deliver the consignment to a person at a hotel in Andheri, in northwestern Mumbai. The NCB sleuths promptly reached the hotel and launched surveillance.
Soon, a Nigerian national arrived and waited in the area. Her movements seemed suspicious. The woman, identified as H. Musa, was intercepted by officials. She admitted that she was to receive the consignment for further distribution in Mumbai, the officials said.
The NCB team found corroborating evidence and incriminating data on the women that link them to an international drug trafficking syndicate. According to officials, the contraband was sourced from South America, which is known to be a hotbed for the illicit production of cocaine.
The apprehended ladies are being interrogated to gather further details about the locals and kingpins based in offshore countries. Further investigation is underway. The raid was conducted under the guidance of NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Amit Ghawte.
The seizure of the consignment is considered a notable achievement since the local drug trafficking circuits are keen on supplying party drugs in the upcoming festive season in Mumbai, Goa, and nearby areas, the officials said.
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