DRI helds 2 including Nigerian National for trafficking of Cocaine worth Rs.15 crore

Continuing its crackdown on narcotic drug trafficking, investigators from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted an international syndicate and seized 1.59 kg (gross wt.) of cocaine, worth approximately Rs.15 crore, in New Delhi today. The network smuggled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS) into India from Africa over the Indo-Nepal border.

Acting on particular intelligence, an Indian national came in a train from Raxaul, Bihar, at Anand Vihar Railway Station in Delhi on the morning of March 22, 2024, and 92 pale yellow capsules carrying a white powdery substance were found. The presence of cocaine in the seized substance was confirmed by a sample test done using the NDPS Field Testing Kit.

Further investigation found that the package was to be delivered to a person in Dwarka, New Delhi. A quick response resulted in the arrest of one Nigerian national who arrived on a Scooty to take possession of the NDPS in Dwarka, New Delhi.

In this case, the syndicate smuggled contraband from African countries directly or via Dubai to Kathmandu, Nepal, via air route, hiding it in trolley bags or eating capsules in the body. The syndicate then hired Indian nationals to fly from New Delhi to Kathmandu and retrieve the contraband from predetermined locations, including Kathmandu hotels, before smuggling it across the Indo-Nepal border. The carrier would next transport the item to New Delhi by road or train.

The found cocaine, contained in 92 capsules weighing 1.59 kg (gross wt.), was valued at around Rs 15 crore, and both the transporter and the recipient were detained under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Further inquiry is underway.