50 kg cocaine worth Rs 500 cr seized from container carrying fruits at port near Mumbai

The high-quality cocaine worth Rs 500 crore was seized from a container carrying carrying pears and green apples. Pic/Directorate of Revenue Intelligence

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 50 kilograms of high-quality cocaine worth Rs 500 crore from a container carrying fruits at the Nhava Sheva Port in Navi Mumbai.

Based on intelligence inputs, the DRI seized the high-quality cocaine worth Rs 500 crore from a container carrying pears and green apples, which was brought to Nhava Sheva Port from South Africa. The consignment was intercepted by the DRI at Nhava Sheva port on October 6.

According to DRI, upon examination it was revealed that a large number of bricks made up of high-quality cocaine and weighing approximately 1 kg each, were concealed inside the boxes of green apples. "A total of 50 such bricks weighing 50.23 kg and valued at Rs 502 crore in illicit markets were recovered during the examination," the DRI said in a statement.

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"This container was brought to India by the same importer, who was arrested by the DRI in the case involving seizure of 198 kg meth and 9 kg cocaine from a consignment of oranges originating from South Africa at Vashi earlier this week," the DRI said.

"This is one of the largest seizures of cocaine attempted to be smuggled through sea container in recent past," an officer of DRI said.

The importer was arrested by the DRI officials under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. This is a part of a series of large drug seizures made by DRI, Mumbai zonal unit ranging from 198 kg of methamphetamine, 9 kg cocaine to 16 kg heroin in the last 10 days.