Brazilian national held at Mumbai airport with cocaine worth Rs 9.75 cr; had ingested drug-filled capsules

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A Brazilian national was arrested from Mumbai airport allegedly with 975 grams of cocaine worth Rs 9.75 crore, a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence official said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.

The Brazilian national was apprehended on Thursday from Mumbai airport on specific intelligence and he confessed to having ingested drug-filled capsules, the Mumbai Zone DRI official said, reported PTI.

"He was produced in a court where the magistrate ordered that he be admitted in JJ Hospital. On Friday, doctors there purged from his body 110 capsules containing 975 grams of cocaine valued at Rs 9.75 crore," he said, reported PTI.

He was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and further probe to unravel the peddling network was underway, the official said.

In another case, busting an interstate drug syndicate, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested two accused at Kalyan Railway Station in Thane and seized from them 3,600 Nitrazepam tablets and 270 bottles of Codeine syrup, reported ANI.

According to the NCB, the network has its tentacles spread across multiple states, including Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

"In a closely coordinated operation, NCB has successfully delivered yet another cracking blow to the interstate drug syndicate, which has led to the seizure of 3600 Nitrazepam tablets & 270 bottles of Codeine syrup for which two persons, including the local distributor and his key associate, have been arrested," said Additional Director NCB (Mumbai) Amit Ghawate in a press statement on Friday, reported ANI.

In an effort to curb drug trafficking during the upcoming election, intelligence was gathered and it was noted that a notorious interstate drug syndicate has sketched a plan to smuggle a drug consignment into the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, according to the statement.

"Urgent intervention in the input and development of the information led to the identification of a person named SS Khan. Continuous investigation led to identification of details about the SS Khan, and soon information was gathered that he had procured consignment of illicitly diverted prescription medicines from outside Maharashtra in a regular manner for further supply to his customers," the NCB said, reported ANI.

Accordingly, a team of NCB Mumbai officials was deputed to mount surveillance immediately. Gradual linkages indicated that SS Khan along with one of his close confidant named M Khan has gone to Karnataka for purchase of a drug consignment. All intelligence sources were alerted which led to further details, the NCB said, reported ANI.

On May 10, upon confirmation of possession of a drug consignment, based on analysis, a trap layout was set up at Kalyan Railway Station, Maharashtra. Soon, after the arrival of the train, upon de-boarding from the train, the duo were immediately physically identified by the NCB team. After interception at the spot and further, during the search, a total of 3600 Nitrazepam tablets and 270 bottles of Codeine syrup were recovered, said the NCB, reported ANI.

The NCB said that during the interrogation, all the accused voluntarily accepted their involvement in the procurement of the seized drug consignment for further sale in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan and other MMR regions.

Further, one of the arrested people already has a criminal history and was linked to a syndicate with a notorious criminal background in which a few members were previously involved in other drug trafficking stints, and a few other members are already arrested under various NDPS matters, reported ANI.

Incremental information about the syndicate and other details have been obtained, which are not only corroborative but also being analysed for the identification of other members of the syndicate. Further detailed investigation is underway to identify and arrest the other gang members and to neutralise the entire drug network, the NCB added.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)