Mumbai: NCB seizes Rs 20 crore worth cocaine at airport; two African nationals held

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday arrested two African women and seized 2.8 kg of cocaine worth Rs 20 crore at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, an official said.

A South African woman who had arrived in the city from Adis Abeba (Ethiopia) was detained on Sunday after the NCB's Mumbai zonal section set up a trap at the airport based on a tip-off, the official said.

During a search, the team recovered 2.8 kg of the contraband in eight packets of different sizes, which were concealed in cavities made in two pairs of shoes and two purses, he said. The drug is said to be valued at Rs 20 crore.

After being questioned, the woman, named as Miranda S, stated she was supposed to deliver the package to someone at a hotel in the Andheri neighbourhood of Mumbai, the official said.

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The NCB crew arrived at the hotel right away and set up surveillance. A Nigerian national eventually showed there and waited nearby; her motions seemed strange, he claimed. The woman, identified as H Musa, was intercepted by officials and she admitted that she was to receive the consignment for further distribution in Mumbai.

According to the official, the NCB team found corroborative evidence with incriminating data on the women that links them to an international drug trafficking syndicate. The contraband was sourced from South America, which is a hotbed for the illicit production of cocaine.

The seizure of the consignment is a notable achievement, as the local drug trafficking circuits are keen on supplying party drugs in the upcoming festive season in Mumbai, Goa and nearby areas, he added.

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