15-07-2025
Woman from Palghar held for smuggling 62cr cocaine
Mumbai: A 40-year-old woman from Palghar was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for smuggling around 6.6kg of cocaine worth Rs 62 crore hidden in 300 capsules between biscuits and chocolates at the Mumbai International Airport on Monday.
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DRI officials said they believe she is part of an international drug mafia.
Pooja Lovepreet Lal (42) was booked under NDPS Act and remanded to judicial custody. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted Lal, who arrived from Doha at the Mumbai airport. Though her personal search yielded nothing, a thorough check of her baggage revealed nine suspicious food containers. Upon opening them, officers discovered 300 capsules in a pellet form, packed unusually and weighing 6.2kg.
During interrogation, she reportedly said she took the risk in exchange for what she described as quick and handsome money. DRI said this case illustrates an "ingenious modus operandi" involving the concealment of narcotics in everyday snack containers to avoid detection. — S Ahmed Ali
