NEW DELHI: A bid to smuggle medicines in bulk to Istanbul from Terminal 3 of the IGIA has been foiled by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.
Two male flyers, natives of Turkmenistan, were held in this connection.
Airport sources told TNIE, “The duo was held on Monday (August 25) during intensive checks carried out on their baggage before they boarded a flight from Delhi to Istanbul. Based on passenger profiling, these checks were done. The value of the medicines, generic ones, smuggled is worth nearly Rs 14 lakh.”
It was clearly an illegal act, a source said.
“The medicines did not have the MRP on them. The duo did not have any prescription too on them. Nor did they have any supporting bills for them.”
The smuggled consignment consisted of tablets and capsules needed for cancer treatment, asthma as well as pain killers.
”It looks like they may be mixed and used in products for other recreational purposes,” he added.
They were not allowed to board their flight. The CISF alerted Customs officials about it. Customs has taken possession of the seized medicines and booked them under the Customs Act.
Smuggling of medicines from India happens on and off.
“Since the price is cheaper here, they are smuggled in bulk. They are usually smuggled to Gulf countries, Middle East and African nations. Very rarely do we see them being taken to Istanbul , like in this case.”
The Indira Gandhi Airport sees an average of two such cases pertaining to medicines booked every month, a source said.