BENGALURU: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru unit, on Monday intercepted and later arrested a Zambian national at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) after they recovered four-and-a-half kg of heroin, which was concealed in her baggage. The market value of the banned narcotic drug is more than Rs 30 crore in the international grey market, sources said.
According to sources, the Zambian woman, aged 40, had travelled from Addis Ababa to Bengaluru on Ethiopian Airlines and landed at KIA at 8.30am on July 25. This was her first visit to India. Upon arrival, the DRI intercepted her and later arrested her after they recovered heroin from her baggage. “Her handler – also a Zambian had given her the consignment in Zambia. To conceal the origin of the contraband she travelled from there to Addis Ababa before boarding the Ethiopian Airlines to Bengaluru. He had instructed her to call him soon after landing in Bengaluru for further movement instruction,” sources added.
“On July 21, the DRI, Bengaluru unit, arrested a Ugandan national, 30, who had ingested 80 capsules of methamphetamine weighing 1 kg worth Rs 4 crore in the international grey market,” said sources.
“He was instructed to check in a hotel form his handler. The receivers of the contraband would have come to take the consignment after a week. In the meantime, he was told to excrete the capsules and keep them safely,” sources added.
“In both the cases, the handlers of the two mules had paid their air fare and given them some allowance. They were assured commission after safe delivery of the drugs,” they added.“The DRI on July 21 also seized 4.3 kg of pseudoephedrine from an international courier consignment which had originated from Chennai and was marked for shipment to New Zealand,” sources said. “The seized drug is worth nearly a crore in the illicit market,” sources added.