BENGALURU: Officers of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru zonal unit, on a specific tipoff, intercepted a Brazilian national and seized 4.776 kg of cocaine worth Rs 23.88cr (street value) at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the early hours of February 17.
The accused had travelled from São Paulo to Doha, Qatar, and subsequently boarded the flight from Doha to Bengaluru.
“During examination of the checked-in baggage of the accused, officers recovered four ladies’ handbags that had been specially modified with false walls and concealed bottom compartments. The cavities were found to contain multiple pieces of clothing fabric chemically infused with cocaine,” said the NCB, Bengaluru in an official release on Wednesday.
“The accused has been secured for detailed questioning to ascertain the source, destination and wider conspiracy involved in the trafficking attempt. Necessary legal action under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been initiated,” stated the anti-drugs agency.
This is the second seizure of cocaine in less than a month from a foreign national at KIA. On January 21, the Air Intelligence Unit, Customs arrested a Chile national and seized around 7.7 kg of high-grade cocaine concealed in fairy tale books in Spanish. In the grey market cocaine or coke sells anywhere between Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore per kg depending on the quality and demand.
(Any person having information related to the sale or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances may share the same by calling the MANAS - National Narcotics Helpline, Toll-Free Number 1933. The identity of the caller will be kept strictly confidential).