Cocaine in biscuit boxes: Woman from Doha caught smuggling Rs 62 crore stash at Mumbai airport
DRI Mumbai seized 6.26 kg of cocaine worth ₹62.6 crore from an Indian woman arriving from Doha at Mumbai Airport on July 14, 2025. Acting on specific intelligence, officials recovered 300 cocaine-filled capsules hidden in Oreo and chocolate boxes. The woman was arrested under… pic.twitter.com/v7IbVICVJc
Sweet treats with a dark twist: Cocaine found in biscuit and chocolate boxes
As reported by IANS, The Indian national, who had landed from Doha, Qatar on July 14, was intercepted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) based on a confidential tip-off. Sources had alerted the agency about a suspected female smuggler arriving with narcotics that day, prompting officials to closely monitor incoming passengers.
300 capsules of cocaine hidden in plain sight
During the detailed luggage inspection, officers grew suspicious of six large biscuit boxes and three chocolate packs that the woman was carrying. But instead of sweet snacks, each of the nine boxes contained capsules, 300 in total, packed with a mysterious white powder. Upon testing, the substance was confirmed to be cocaine.
Weighing in at 6,261 grams, the drug stash is estimated to be worth a staggering Rs 62.6 crore in the international narcotics market. Authorities were quick to seize the material, arrest the woman, and launch a deeper investigation into the smuggling network.
An official associated with the operation stated that this was one of the largest drug seizures at the airport in recent months, adding that concealing drugs inside common food items is a tactic smugglers increasingly use to avoid detection.
Not the first attempt in recent weeks
This bust follows another similar operation just weeks earlier, when DRI officers caught a male passenger from Sierra Leone on June 22 with 1,139 grams of cocaine. That seizure, valued at Rs 11.39 crore, highlights how international drug cartels continue to use India as both a transit and target market for cocaine distribution.
Officials noted that repeated attempts using diverse smuggling methods show the growing need for increased airport surveillance and real-time intelligence exchange. Both passengers remain in custody, and officials are probing further links to organised drug syndicates operating through global trafficking routes.
Investigation underway
The woman is currently being questioned, and authorities are working to determine whether she is part of a larger international network. As investigations continue, the DRI remains tight-lipped about specific findings but maintains that more arrests could follow.
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