NCB tries to narrow down potential buyers after Rs 50 cr cocaine recovery
26 March 2015 6:09 AM IST
A day after the biggest ever cocaine recovery in India, the narcotic sleuths are now trying to ascertain the potential buyers of the fine quality consignment, whose estimated value in the international market exceeds ten times the average price of cocaine in the domestic illegal drugs market.
However, through an official release on Wednesday, senior agency officials maintained that the consignment was ‘presumably’ delivered further in smaller quantities to college-goers and the emerging rave party circuit in Delhi-NCR.
On March 24, two South African women – identified as Lebogang Elizabeth Sibiya (28) and Michelle Dookens (31) – had allegedly arrived in Delhi to deliver a 9.6 kg cocaine consignment to one Ghana national, identified as James Nelson. The three of them were arrested from the IGI Airport. The women, who had the drugs hidden in cavities inside their baggage, had taken an Emirates flight from Sao Paulo in Brazil, which also halted in Dubai. They allegedly work for an international drugs syndicate, claimed senior NCB officials.
The fine cocaine recovered from their possession has been estimated to be worth around Rs 50 crore in the international market by officials of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the custom department, which means one gram cocaine from the consignment would cost around Rs 52,000.
However, average price for one gram cocaine sold by dealers in India had so far been estimated by the narcotics agencies at around Rs 5,000.
However, through an official release on Wednesday, senior agency officials maintained that the consignment was ‘presumably’ delivered further in smaller quantities to college-goers and the emerging rave party circuit in Delhi-NCR.
On March 24, two South African women – identified as Lebogang Elizabeth Sibiya (28) and Michelle Dookens (31) – had allegedly arrived in Delhi to deliver a 9.6 kg cocaine consignment to one Ghana national, identified as James Nelson. The three of them were arrested from the IGI Airport. The women, who had the drugs hidden in cavities inside their baggage, had taken an Emirates flight from Sao Paulo in Brazil, which also halted in Dubai. They allegedly work for an international drugs syndicate, claimed senior NCB officials.
The fine cocaine recovered from their possession has been estimated to be worth around Rs 50 crore in the international market by officials of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the custom department, which means one gram cocaine from the consignment would cost around Rs 52,000.
However, average price for one gram cocaine sold by dealers in India had so far been estimated by the narcotics agencies at around Rs 5,000.
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