KOCHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has launched an investigation to trace those who ordered the cocaine recovered from a Brazilian couple arrested at Kochi airport on July 11. The couple -- identified as Lucas da Silva and Bruna Gabriele -- had swallowed cocaine capsules before being intercepted by DRI officials.
A source said a total of 163 capsules containing 1.6 kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth Rs 16 crore, were recovered from the duo.
“The extraction of the capsules was completed on Tuesday. They were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody. We will seek their custody again for detailed interrogation. They have confessed to smuggling the drugs for a remuneration of Brazilian Reals equal to Rs 3 lakh,” the source said.
The primary challenge for investigators now is to identify the recipients of the smuggled drugs. The couple reportedly told officials that they were recruited by a drug syndicate in Brazil. The air ticket and other travel expenses were paid by the drug traffickers. They reached Kochi via Dubai.
“According to their statement, the traffickers contacted them exclusively via WhatsApp calls. They were instructed to check into a hotel after arriving at Nedumbassery, and only then would they receive further details about whom to deliver the drugs to. They claim to have no knowledge of the intended recipients,” the source added.
The DRI has sent the couple’s mobile phones for forensic analysis. “We have yet to determine the intended final destination of the drugs. In similar cases, couriers often travel onward to cities like New Delhi or Mumbai to complete the delivery. Airports such as Kochi are typically used to avoid detection. The likelihood of a Kerala-based syndicate ordering such a large quantity of drugs is low. However, we will also check whether any Kerala-based drug racket was involved in the incident,” officials said.