NEW DELHI
The officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized around 5.2 kg of narcotics suspected to be heroin worth Rs 36 crore and arrested three persons including one Nigerian national, said to be the mastermind of the entire racket being operated from abroad.
A woman from Hyderabad who was to collect the consignment from a hotel in Calangute was also arrested.
A customs official stated that the first arrest in the case was made at the Delhi airport on Saturday.
As per information, DRI Headquarters and DRI Bengaluru received specific information about the international drug smuggling racket on July 29.
Based on the intelligence inputs, officials of the DRI intercepted an Indian national at Delhi airport after he arrived from Malawi via Addis Ababa on Saturday.
During checking, the officials recovered narcotics suspected to be heroin weighing around 5.2 kg concealed in two different packages in one of the passenger’s trolley bags.
On inquiry, he revealed that he was to further fly to Goa to deliver the consignment to a woman.
In his instance, a trap was laid at the said hotel in Goa (Calangute), where an Indian lady, who had come to receive the consignment was intercepted. The woman had flown from Hyderabad to Goa in the morning to take the delivery of the contraband.
The accused woman disclosed that she was to further fly to Delhi to deliver contraband. The DRI officials later reached Delhi and arrested the Nigerian mastermind.
As per DRI officials, all three accused have been placed under arrest and the narcotics have been seized. Further legal action in the matter is being taken.
Last year, the Goa and Delhi branches of DRI had busted a major drugs racket following the seizure of 34.7 kgs of heroin worth about Rs 50 crore in New Delhi, which was concealed as salt imports from Iran to India.
The suspects had brought a container containing heroin from Iran under the pretext of salt imports and investigations had revealed that the owner of the company and another suspect had gone to Goa for a drug-related deal.
