DRI seizes Rs 47 crore worth of cocaine at Mumbai Airport; 5 held

MUMBAI: In a significant strike against narcotics trafficking, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has seized 4.7 kg of cocaine, valued at approximately Rs 47 crore in the illicit market, from a female passenger arriving from Colombo at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted the passenger upon arrival and conducted a thorough examination of her baggage led to the recovery of nine pouches of a white powdery substance concealed inside 9 coffee packets. Testing of the recovered substances, using the NDPS field test kit, showed positive results for cocaine.

In a swift follow-up operation, the officers apprehended the intended recipient of the narcotics at the airport. On further follow-up, three other persons of the syndicate involved in financing, logistics, collection and distribution of the cocaine were intercepted. All five individuals have been arrested. All five accused have been arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Further investigation is underway to identify the larger trafficking network responsible for this consignment. The DRI reaffirms its commitment to building a “Nasha Mukt Bharat” by relentlessly disrupting narcotics supply chains, dismantling international trafficking syndicates, and safeguarding the nation’s health, security, and future.

Earlier on October 19, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested two people and recovered around 13.7 kg of Alprazolam worth around Rs 3.44 crore after busting an allegedly illegal manufacturing plant of the medicine in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam, the agency said on Sunday.

One of the arrested individuals, Roop Singh Chauhan (51), is a former operator of pharmaceutical firms and a B Tech graduate who is currently out on bail in a 2021 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) case. Another individual, Abhijeet Singh Chauhan (39), is a former official of the Indian Red Cross Society and a B Pharm graduate.

“Pursuant to the vision of PM Narendra Modi of a Drug Free India (Nasha Mukt Bharat) and acting upon the directives of Home Minister, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has achieved significant success in dismantling clandestine labs engaged in the illegal preparation of Alprazolam”, the NCB noted in an official statement. (ANI)