Mumbai Customs arrest foreign national at airport for smuggling cocaine worth Rs 52 crore in ortho waist belt
Customs officers on Monday arrested a foreign national at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai for allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine worth nearly Rs 52 crore into India.
The accused's plan surprised Customs officers who found that he had concealed the contraband in an ortho waist belt and calf supporters. The accused was subsequently arrested for allegedly smuggling commercial quantity drugs, under the stringent Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances NDPS Act.
According to the Customs department, its officers from the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) had received specific intelligence. Following this, the officers on Monday intercepted the suspect at the airport.
During search, AIU officers recovered four packets containing white powder, which the passenger had concealed in an ortho waist belt and calf supporters worn by him.
Upon testing the recovered substance using a narcotics field testing kit, the samples tested positive for cocaine, a Customs officer said.
Around 5,194 grams of cocaine valued at Rs 51.94 crore were seized. The passenger was subsequently arrested under provisions of the NDPS Act.
Investigators are trying to obtain details about the foreign-based handlers and associates and also local contact who were supposed to collect the contraband from the accusded.
Customs officers are also checking the foreigner's travel history to check if he had smuggled narcotics or any other banned or restricted items to India in the past. And also what amount the passenger was offered in lieu for acting as a carrier, sources said.
The passenger if found guilty can face a prison sentence of 20 years as seizure of cocaine beyond 100 grams falls in the category of commercial quantity that attracts harsh punishment under the provisions of NDPS Act.
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