DRI busts international syndicate, seizes 1.59 kg cocaine worth Rs 15 crore; two arrested
Mar 22, 2024
New Delhi [India], March 22 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers unearthed an international syndicate and seized 1.59 kg of cocaine worth Rs 15 crore in New Delhi on Friday and arrested two accused for smuggling narcotic drugs into the country, an official statement said.
The syndicate was engaged in the smuggling of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) into India from Africa via the Indo-Nepal border.
According to the statement, the recovered cocaine concealed in 92 capsules weighing 1.59 kg, valued at about Rs 15 crore, was seized and both the carrier and the recipient were arrested following the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Acting on specific intelligence, an Indian national, who arrived in the morning from Raxaul, Bihar, in a train at Anand Vihar Railway Station, was intercepted and 92 pale yellow capsules containing a white powdery substance were recovered, the statement read.
The sample test conducted using the NDPS Field Testing Kit confirmed the presence of Cocaine in the recovered substance, the statement said.
Further enquiry revealed that the consignment was to be delivered to a person in Dwarka, New Delhi, according to the statement.
A swift follow-up action resulted in the interception of one Nigerian national, who came on a Scooty to take delivery of the NDPS at Dwarka, the statement read.
In the instant case, the syndicate used to smuggle the contraband from African countries directly or via Dubai to Kathmandu, Nepal, via Air Route by concealing them in trolley bags or by ingesting capsules in the body. The syndicate then used Indian nationals, who flew from New Delhi to Kathmandu to collect the contraband from pre-determined places, including hotels in Kathmandu and smuggle the same across the Indo-Nepal border. The carrier would then take the consignment to New Delhi by road or train, said the statement.
Further investigation is in progress.
