Tanzanian 'purges' smuggled cocaine capsules worth Rs. 11.57 crore

Hyderabad: The sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Hyderabad, seized 1,157 grams of cocaine worth Rs. 11.57 crore.

Based on data analysis and Intelligence gathering efforts, DRI identified and intercepted a male passenger, a Tanzanian national, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here. The 44-year-old was travelling from Johannesburg to Hyderabad via Dubai by Emirates on 21 April.

During the inquiry, he revealed that he had ingested capsules containing cocaine. The passenger purged 22 capsules at the airport and sought immediate medical assistance. He was admitted to a hospital immediately.

Subsequently, under medical supervision, the man purged out 57 more capsules over a period of five days, resulting in the recovery of a total of 79 capsules. The capsules were covered with transparent adhesive tape.

These capsules purged by the passenger were cut open and cocaine weighing 1,157 grams and valued at approximately Rs. 11.57 crore in the international grey market was seized. The passenger was arrested by the DRI officers on 26 April under NDPS Act 1985 and remanded to judicial custody.

Investigation revealed that the man travelled to Johannesburg from Tanzania. From Johannesburg, he was taken to Pretoria where he swallowed the capsules before starting his journey to India. He was supposed to purge them over a period of three-four days and hand over the capsules to an unknown person.

Further investigation is in progress.

It is worth mentioning that this is one of the largest seizures of cocaine in Hyderabad in recent years by DRI.