Latest news with #LucasdaSilva
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
DRI seeks custody of Brazilian couple
Kochi: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) will seek custody of the two Brazilian nationals for interrogation to uncover the source and destination of the contraband worth crores. The case involves a couple from Brazil, intercepted at Kochi airport by DRI officials on July 11. The DRI admitted them to a private hospital in Angamaly with the court's permission after finding evidence that they swallowed cocaine capsules. The contraband was entirely retrieved by Tuesday through medical procedures at the hospital. A total of 163 capsules containing about 1.6kg of cocaine worth Rs 16 crore were seized from the couple. Lucas da Silva and Bruna Gabrielle were arrested by the DRI. Sources said the woman was found to be pregnant in the scan, and it was an extremely risky operation since if any of the cocaine bags ruptured, it could have led to death of mother and child. However, officials said the contraband was safely retrieved and both of them are healthy. They remain in judicial custody and the DRI will soon seek their custody for further questioning and evidence collection. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Franklin India NFO Investment Franklin Templeton India AMC Learn More Undo Sources said the duo were carriers who arrived in the state claiming to be on honeymoon. They were being paid about Rs 3 lakh to smuggle the contraband, the destination of which remains unclear. Although the usual destinations for such contraband are Mumbai or Delhi, officials said a detailed investigation is ongoing. The couple claim they had no knowledge of the destination and their instruction was to check into a hotel and wait for further instructions, sources said.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
DRI probes Kochi airport cocaine haul; Brazilian couple swallowed 163 capsules worth Rs 16 crore
KOCHI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has launched an investigation to trace those who ordered the cocaine recovered from a Brazilian couple arrested at Kochi airport on July 11. The couple -- identified as Lucas da Silva and Bruna Gabriele -- had swallowed cocaine capsules before being intercepted by DRI officials. A source said a total of 163 capsules containing 1.6 kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth Rs 16 crore, were recovered from the duo. 'The extraction of the capsules was completed on Tuesday. They were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody. We will seek their custody again for detailed interrogation. They have confessed to smuggling the drugs for a remuneration of Brazilian Reals equal to Rs 3 lakh,' the source said. The primary challenge for investigators now is to identify the recipients of the smuggled drugs. The couple reportedly told officials that they were recruited by a drug syndicate in Brazil. The air ticket and other travel expenses were paid by the drug traffickers. They reached Kochi via Dubai.
