DRI seizes 1.698 kg of cocaine worth Rs 17 crore at Delhi Airport

New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 1.698 kg cocaine valued at around Rs 17 crore in the illicit international market and arrested two Kenyan nationals for smuggling the drug into India.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Finance Ministry said that the DRI was able to apprehend a Kenyan passenger, who had arrived from Nairobi yesterday, at the IGI Airport, New Delhi.

Upon examination of the suspect’s luggage, the DRI officers recovered approximately 1,698 grams of cocaine, with an estimated value of around Rs 17 crore in the illicit international market.

The suspect, a female passenger, was in possession of an air ticket for a flight to Mumbai that was to depart a few hours later, indicating that the delivery of contraband was to be done in Mumbai, the statement said.

Following sustained interrogation and surveillance, the DRI officers successfully nabbed the intended recipient of the contraband drugs. The recipient, another female Kenyan national, was apprehended in the Vasai area of Mumbai.

Both the carrier and the recipient have been placed under arrest in accordance with the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Further investigation is in progress, the ministry said.

During January-July 2023, DRI made 42 seizures of cocaine and heroin across the country. More than 31 kilograms of cocaine and 96 kilograms of heroin have been seized by the DRI officers during the January-July 2023 period.