NCB seizes cocaine worth Rs 20 cr in Mumbai, arrests two foreign nationals

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted an international drug trafficking syndicate wherein the intelligence agency seized a consignment of cocaine worth around Rs 20 crores.

The seizure was done in Mumbai and two foreign nationals were arrested in the case at hand. Information on the supply of the consignment by an international syndicate was gathered by NCB-Mumbai.

Accordingly, the officers of NCB-Mumbai worked out and after diligent analysis, an actionable input was generated wherein a South African lady, namely Marinda S, was identified. Following inputs from sources, the NCB Mumbai analysed that the carrier was to air travel from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Mumbai on November 20.

Accordingly, the NCB-Mumbai officials immediately moved to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and set up a layout to apprehend the lady. Shortly, as the flight from Addis Ababa arrived and the lady was physically identified. Consequently, the lady was intercepted.

Thereafter, a search in accordance with legal procedure led to the recovery of 2.800 kgs of fine-quality cocaine from her belongings which were meticulously concealed among unsuspecting items. The contraband in eight packets of different sizes was concealed in two pairs of shoes, and two purses very carefully by crafting special cavities, the source said.

Thereafter, the contraband was seized and the lady was held up for further questioning.

During the course of the interrogation, the foreign national revealed that she was required to deliver the consignment to somebody at a hotel located in Mumbai’s Andheri. Subsequently, a team reached the hotel and mounted discreet surveillance. After a while, a lady of African origin arrived and waited in the area with alleged suspicious movement.

She was intercepted and questioned by NCB officials but the Nigerian national could not reply satisfactorily, as per sources.

The lady, however, later confessed that she was to receive the consignment from the South African lady, Marinda S. and further distribute it in Mumbai. Incriminating data was recovered from the ladies which indicated an international drug trafficking nexus, spread across various countries, the NCB stated.

The drug was sourced from South America, which is a hotbed for the illicit production of cocaine. Further investigation is underway.