Seizure of drugs by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the national capital region (NCR) saw a spike during the 2015-16 financial year as 225 kg of contraband was seized here from international peddling cartels, in which women too were involved.
According to the latest data provided by the NCB, the central agency tasked to combat drug menace in the country arrested a total of 27 peddlers during the fiscal, which included 18 foreigners. The agency seized 225 kg of various category of narcotics like heroin, cocaine, charas, pseudoephedrine, methaqualone and amphetamine as part of its 47 operations in the NCR area during this time, a rise of about 34 per cent as compared to the 167 kg of such recoveries by the agency during the 2014-15 fiscal.
Of the 18 foreigners arrested, seven were women who acted as couriers, also constitute a formidable bulk of those arrested. Among the nine Indians arrested in these cases during the same period, only one was woman.
During the 2014-15 fiscal, the NCB arrested 21 foreigners, including 10 women, and 25 Indians under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS). The arrested Indians included two women.
A total of 36 operations were conducted by the agency in the NCR during 2014-15, the data said.
Amongst the foreigners held for these offences, majority came from African countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe.