Mumbai: Heroin Worth Rs 50 Crores Found In Trolley Bag Belonging To Duo Coming From Ethiopia

Mumbai, 27th November 2022: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Maharashtra has arrested two passengers from Zimbabwe at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai with 7.9 kg of heroin worth Rs 50 crore, an official stated on Sunday.

The official said that based on a tip-off, the Mumbai zonal unit of DRI laid a trap at the airport on Friday and intercepted a male and a female passenger from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). On search, the team found a few packets containing light brown coloured powder in his trolley bag. The powder has been confirmed to contain heroin and the weight of the banned substance was 7.9 kg. The seized drug is worth Rs 50 crore in the international market.

The accused have been arrested under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The special court sent the accused to judicial custody. DRI is carrying out further investigation to bust the drug syndicate involved in this case.

Earlier this month, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Mumbai seized 4.98 kg of heroin from a passenger arriving from Nairobi at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The international market value of heroin seized from a passenger at Mumbai airport is around Rs 35 crore. Even before this, heroin and other narcotics have been recovered from passengers at Mumbai airport several times.

The official said that the DRI had received information that a passenger was smuggling a consignment of narcotics into the country, following which the officials increased the vigil at the airport. A man travelling from Nairobi (Kenya) to Mumbai was stopped on suspicion. On checking the luggage, the officials found 4.98 kg of heroin in his trolley bag. The heroin was hidden in a trolley bag and kept in a polythene bag.