BENGALURU: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru Zonal Unit (BZU), has seized around 35 kg of heroin along with Rs 5.8 lakh cash from a drug cartel comprising women from the North-East and their handler — a Nigerian national living in Delhi. The total worth of the seized heroin is said to be worth over Rs 52 crore in the grey market.
“On credible information, the NCB, BZU officers on May 24 apprehended a female passenger and her associate, who had arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) from Zimbabwe, and seized seven kg heroin, which was concealed in the false bottom of a suitcase belonging to one of them,” said NCB, BZU Director Amit Ghawate.
He added that during interrogation, they revealed that one similar bag was kept in a lodge in the city where they were staying. “We carried out a search in the room and recovered 6.890 kg of heroin from a bag there. On further investigation it came to light that three more lady passengers with similar consignments had boarded Bengaluru-Delhi Rajdhani Express. We shared the information with the NCB, Indore, who recovered 21 kg of heroin from three similar trolley bags and apprehended the three ladies from a lodge at Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh,” added Ghawate.
Further probe carried out simultaneously by the NCB teams took them to the handlers of these girls. “The handlers were identified and intercepted at KIA and their interrogation revealed that a Nigerian national living in Delhi was the kingpin of the heroin consignment,” the NCB chief said.