Hyderabad DRI seizes 4.9kg cocaine worth ₹24.5 crore, arrests passenger
HYDERABAD: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Hyderabad Zonal Unit (HZU), seized 4.9kg of cocaine worth an estimated ₹24.5 crore in the illicit market and arrested a passenger at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on September 29, officials said.
The passenger had arrived in Hyderabad from Doha, Qatar, and was intercepted based on specific intelligence developed by the DRI.
During a search of his cabin baggage, officers found seven Lindt Lindor Assorted Filled Dark Chocolate Selection tubes. Each tube carried a marked weight of 387 grams.
The tubes appeared unusually heavy, prompting officers to open and examine them. They recovered 207 light-yellow, oval-shaped capsules concealed along with the chocolates inside the seven tubes.
Each capsule contained a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine. A test using a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit gave a positive indication for cocaine, officials said.
The DRI recovered a total of 4.9kg of cocaine, including gross weight, with an estimated illicit-market value of ₹24.5 crore.
The cocaine was seized and the passenger was arrested under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Further investigation is in progress.
