New Delhi, Feb 9: The customs department at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has arrested three foreign nationals—two Brazilian women and a Kenyan man—for attempting to smuggle nearly 2.66 kg of cocaine, valued at approximately Rs 40 crore. The individuals had ingested capsules filled with the narcotic substance, which were recovered after medical procedures.
In the first case, a 26-year-old Brazilian woman was intercepted on January 28 upon her arrival from Sao Paulo via Paris. During questioning, she admitted to concealing 98 capsules containing cocaine inside her body. The capsules, when recovered, yielded 866 grams of cocaine, worth Rs 12.99 crore. She was arrested after the recovery.
In a similar case on January 24, another Brazilian woman, who had also arrived from Sao Paulo via Paris, was found to have ingested 100 capsules. After being taken to Safdarjung Hospital, she expelled 100 oval-shaped capsules, which contained 802 grams of cocaine, valued at Rs 12.03 crore.
A Kenyan man, arriving from Addis Ababa on January 24, was also arrested for carrying 67 capsules filled with 996 grams of cocaine, worth Rs 14.94 crore. The suspect confessed to ingesting the drugs, and the capsules were recovered after medical procedures.
The customs department confirmed that the drugs seized in all three cases were of high purity, indicating a sophisticated international smuggling network attempting to push narcotics into India.
The customs officials have prevented nearly 2.66 kg of cocaine from entering Indian markets, preventing a potential street value of Rs 39.96 crore. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the larger criminal network behind these operations.
