AHMEDABAD: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad Zonal Unit, has seized 981 grams of cocaine from a Ugandan national at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad and arrested him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials kept surveillance at the airport and intercepted the passenger after he arrived in Ahmedabad on a private airline flight.
Although the passenger denied carrying any prohibited substance, officials conducted a detailed search of his luggage based on intelligence inputs and his movements.
During the inspection, officers found unusual modifications in the trolley bag. They dismantled parts of the bag and recovered 981 grams of cocaine concealed inside its telescopic handle and plastic support components. The white powder was packed in polythene bags and hidden inside the bag's structural sections, officials said.
The cocaine was seized under the NDPS Act, and the passenger was arrested under relevant legal provisions.
The DRI has launched a wider investigation to trace the international supply chain behind the consignment. Investigators are examining the source of the cocaine, identifying its intended recipient in Gujarat and probing the possible involvement of other suspects in India and abroad.