Flier from Uganda caught with cocaine worth Rs 46 crore at New Delhi airport

New Delhi: A person was caught smuggling cocaine worth Rs 46.44 crore into the country at the IGI Airport, New Delhi. Based on intelligence reports, officers of the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU), IGI Airport, New Delhi, intercepted an Indian male passenger, aged 23, arriving from Entebbe in Uganda via Sharjah on Flight No. G9-463 on the night of April 9.

The individual was stopped after crossing the Green Channel. During X-ray screening of his baggage, officers observed suspicious concealment. The passenger was promptly escorted to the preventive room for a detailed examination in the presence of two independent witnesses (panchas).

A meticulous search led to the recovery of six packets of white powder hidden within the periphery of the baggage. Preliminary testing using the NDPS Field Test Kit confirmed the substance to be cocaine, which was measured to be 3,317 grams in net weight. The estimated international market value of the contraband is said to be Rs 46.44 crore (calculated at Rs 14 crore/kg).

The passenger was immediately detained, and further legal proceedings under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Customs Act are underway.