DRI officers seize 1.59 kg cocaine worth `15 crore

New Delhi: DRI officers on Friday unearthed an international syndicate and seized 1.59 kg cocaine worth about Rs 15 crore, the Finance Ministry said.

The syndicate — engaged in smuggling of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) into India from Africa via the Indo-Nepal border — was busted by the revenue intelligence officers in New Delhi.

Acting on specific intelligence, an Indian national, who arrived on Friday morning from Raxaul, Bihar, in a train at Anand Vihar Railway Station, Delhi, was intercepted, and 92 pale yellow capsules, containing a white powdery substance were recovered. The sample test conducted using the NDPS Field Testing Kit confirmed the presence of cocaine in the recovered substance.

Further enquiry revealed that the consignment was to be delivered to a person at Dwarka, New Delhi.

A swift follow-up action resulted in the interception of one Nigerian national, who came to take delivery of the NDPS at Dwarka, New Delhi.

In the instant case, the syndicate used to smuggle the contraband from African countries directly or via Dubai to Kathmandu, Nepal, via Air Route and then use Indian nationals to take the consignment to New Delhi by road or train.