Customs officials have busted a case of drug smuggling at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. A Kenai citizen, who arrived here from Adis Ababa (Ethiopia), was stopped on suspicion. During interrogation, he confessed that he had swallowed 67 capsules filled with cocaine brought in India.
Customs officials suspected passenger activities and stopped it at Terminal 3.
When customs officers suspected the passenger’s activities, they stopped and investigated it at Terminal 3. The passenger was taken to Terminal 3 located preventive customs office and was questioned. At first he kept making excuses, but after intensive interrogation, he admitted that he had swallowed a cocaine capsule. He was then immediately sent to the hospital for medical examination.
67 capsules were extracted from the passenger’s stomach under the supervision of doctors in the hospital.
67 capsules were extracted from the passenger’s stomach under the supervision of doctors in the hospital. When they were cut and investigated, 996 grams of high purity cocaine was found. Initial investigation confirmed that it was cocaine. Its price in the international market is estimated at around Rs 14.94 crore.
Part of a large international smuggling network
Looking at its volume, it is clear that it was part of a large international smuggling network, bringing drugs to India. The passenger was arrested on 7 February on charges of smuggling and possession of banned goods under sections 21, 23 and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985. Along with this, the seized cocaine has been preserved under Section 43 (A) of the NDPS Act.
In drug trafficking, smugglers swallow drugs in small capsules made of plastic or latex, so that they are not caught during security checks at the airport. This method can also prove to be fatal, as a smuggler can die due to capsule burst inside the stomach.
