The Narcotics Management Bureau, Chennai, has arrested three individuals together with an Nigerian after busting a serious cocaine syndicate on the Chennai Airport. On the time of the arrest, the accused had been carrying 5.618 kilograms cocaine value at the least ₹60 crore, which was seized by the authorities, officers stated on Tuesday.
The NCB on September 1 carried out a joint operation with the Air Intelligence Unit, Chennai Customized, and intercepted two Indian male passengers who arrived from Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Airways on the Chennai Worldwide Airport.
In whole, the NCB arrested 4 individuals concerned within the crime.
One arrested aged 25 hails from Bageshwar, Uttarakhand, whereas the opposite passenger aged 26 resides in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
Scanning and examination of their hand baggage revealed compactly packed capsules suspected to comprise cocaine hid inside chocolate cans, Joint Commissioner of Customs (Chennai Airport), Sadeesh Kumar Ok stated in an official launch including the duo had been intercepted based mostly on spot profiling.
Investigation has additional disclosed involvement of an individual of Indian origin in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who arranges the provision of cocaine and distribution of the earnings among the many syndicate members.
The NCB in a separate press launch stated that the road worth of the seized contraband, which is excessive a grade cocaine, is estimated to be at the least ₹60 crore in India.
“It has been ascertained that these individuals have made a number of journeys from Addis Ababa to varied airports in India for trafficking cocaine up to now few years,” the NCB stated.
Cocaine is offered in retail in one-gram sachets, and one-gram sachets value anyplace between ₹8,000 and ₹12,000, relying on the extent of adulteration within the cocaine.
Nigerian nationwide detained, visa overstay in query
The NCB knowledgeable that preliminary investigation has additionally revealed that the arrested Indians are half of a bigger transnational drug syndicate. The alleged syndicate is concerned in trafficking cocaine from Ethiopia to India.
The trafficked cocaine is distributed in different elements of India from Delhi, the place a Nigerian nationwide handles the distribution community.
Upon additional investigation, it was revealed that this individual was in India on a medical visa, which had already expired in 2023 and had been overstaying his visa since 2024.
“Although the Nigerian nationwide had come to India for Medical VISA for self therapy at Gleneagles HealthCity, Perumbakkam, Chennai and was overstaying, he was involving in drug trafficking and establishing a distribution channel of cocaine from Delhi,” the NCB stated.
Additional investigation is underway to determine and apprehend all members of the cocaine syndicate and verify the monetary path, the drug management company stated.
