A dramatic arrest unfolded at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai on Friday when Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers apprehended a Kenyan smuggling nearly 2 kilogrammes of liquid cocaine.
The narcotics, concealed within shampoo and lotion bottles, were valued at approximately ₹20 crore (Ksh306,435,486 in the current exchange rates) on the grey market.
The Kenyan passenger, arriving from Nairobi, drew the attention of DRI officials based on specific intelligence.
Acting on this tip-off, officers scrutinised her baggage, leading to the discovery of the illicit substance. The substance, initially disguised as a routine shampoo, tested positive for cocaine under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985.
Following her arrest, the Kenyan national was presented before a city court and remanded to judicial custody.
Investigators suspect that she was a courier for a sophisticated international narcotics syndicate. Her interrogation aims to uncover the identities of her accomplices, handlers, and potential end-users of the contraband.
The DRI's investigation revealed that traffickers are increasingly using creative concealment methods to evade detection. This particular syndicate employed a tactic where liquid cocaine was disguised in everyday items like shampoo bottles, making it difficult for traditional screening methods to detect the drugs.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of smuggling operations identified by the DRI. Over the past year, officials have encountered numerous cases where carriers used air travel to transport narcotics, often employing elaborate concealment techniques.
Despite the small quantities typically involved, the challenge of detecting these drugs remains significant.
Earlier this year, DRI Mumbai officers seized 19.79 kilogrammes of cocaine worth around ₹19.79 crore (about Ksh303,217,913 in the current exchange rates) from a foreign national suspected of being part of a similar trafficking network. The cocaine was found during a detailed baggage check, reinforcing the need for vigilant screening at airports.
In another operation last month, DRI Bengaluru Zone Unit (DRI, BZU) intercepted a 24-year-old Kenyan national at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), who was smuggling cocaine valued at ₹30 crore (about Ksh459,653,229 in the current exchange rate).
The drugs were hidden in a false bottom of the passenger's luggage, highlighting the lengths to which traffickers will go to conceal their illegal activities.
