Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted an international drug trafficking syndicate wherein the intelligence agency seized a consignment of cocaine worth around Rs 20 crores.
The seizure was done in Mumbai and two foreign nationals were arrested in this connection.
Information regarding the supply of the consignment by an international syndicate was gathered by NCB-Mumbai.
Based on the information gathered, the officers of NCB-Mumbai worked out a plan and an actionable input was generated wherein a South African lady, namely Marinda S, was identified.
Following inputs from sources, the NCB Mumbai analysed that the carrier was to take a flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Mumbai on November 20.
Accordingly, the NCB-Mumbai officials moved to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and from there the lady who had arrived from Addis Ababa, was physically identified and intercepted.
A search on the lady belongings led to the recovery of 2.800 kgs of fine-quality cocaine. The contraband in eight packets of different sizes was concealed in two pairs of shoes, and two purse, the source said.
The lady was held up for further questioning thereafter.
During the course of the interrogation, the foreign national revealed that she was required to deliver the consignment to somebody at a hotel located in Mumbai’s Andheri.
Subsequently, a team reached the hotel and mounted discreet surveillance. After a while, a lady of African origin arrived and waited in the area with alleged suspicious movement.
She was intercepted and questioned by NCB officials but the Nigerian national could not reply satisfactorily, as per sources.
The lady, however, later confessed that she was to receive the consignment from the South African lady.
Incriminating data was recovered from the ladies which indicated an international drug trafficking nexus, spread across various countries, the NCB stated.
Further investigation is underway.