2 kg cocaine seized from Guinean passenger

MUMBAI: A woman hailing from the West African country of Guinea was arrested for possession of 2.17 kg of cocaine, after she arrived on flight from Nairobi in Kenya. The contraband was found in three packets recovered from her checked-in luggage at the Mumbai international airport on Tuesday, according to an officer with the Mumbai unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

“The approximate international grey market value of the seized cocaine is ₹21.78 crore,” a DRI source said. The passenger was intercepted on an intelligence tip-off that a Guinean female passenger arriving at the Mumbai airport could be carrying narcotic drugs, DRI sources said.

She was arrested under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. An investigation is underway to uncover possible accomplices and links to trafficking syndicates.

In a similar operation last month, the DRI seized 1.11 kg of cocaine from a female Brazilian passenger who arrived on a flight from Sao Paulo. The contraband, concealed in her inner clothing, is estimated to be worth ₹11.1 crore in the grey market.