Mumbai: Cocaine worth Rs 12.98 crore seized at international airport, woman foreign national held

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Cocaine worth Rs 12.98 crore and weighing more than one kilogram was seized at the Mumbai international airport by the Customs department, following which a woman foreign national was arrested, an official told news agency PTI on Sunday.

The contraband was seized at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday, he said.

According to Customs, the contraband was concealed in a false cavity of a duffle bag.

"The Customs department seized 1.3 kg of cocaine worth Rs 12.98 crore during the search of a woman foreign national. The contraband was concealed in a false cavity of her duffle bag," the official told PTI.

"The passenger was arrested under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. To whom she was going to deliver the consignment and from where she had brought it will be probed," the official added.

On June 27, on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on Monday, Hyderabad Customs destroyed various Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances totally weighing around 8,946.263 kgs, under the 'Say no to drugs' campaign.

The Hyderabad customs further informed, "The destruction included 2655.942 Kgs of Cannabis(Ganja), 11 Kgs of Heroin, 409.39 Kgs of Alprazoalam and related materials, 142.932 Kgs of Ephedrine Hydrochloride and related materials, 74.92 Kgs of Ketamine Hydrochloride, 2.956 Kgs of Mephedrone, 53.983 Kgs of Methaqualone and 5595.14 Kgs of chemicals used for the clandestine manufacture of Ephedrine".

"Out of the above, 11 kgs of Heroin valued around Rs. 77.0 Crores was seized during April and May 2022 from foreign nationals of Malawi, Tanzania, and Angola at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad.

The said Narcotics and Psychotropic substances valued at Rs.295 Crores were destroyed by way of incineration at M/s. Hyderabad Waste Management Project is located at Dindigul Village, Medchal-Malkajgiri District in Telangana.", added the customs department.

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is marked on June 26 every year to disseminate awareness regarding the adverse consequences of drug consumption.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)