Cocaine Hidden in Shampoo Bottles Seized from Kenyan at Mumbai Airport
Mumbai, India – A dramatic scene unfolded at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai on Friday, as a Kenyan national was apprehended while attempting to smuggle nearly 2 kilograms of liquid cocaine valued at approximately ₹20 crore (Ksh306 million). The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the suspect upon arrival from Nairobi.
The contraband was ingeniously concealed within shampoo and lotion bottles, a tactic aimed at evading detection by standard airport security measures. However, vigilant DRI officers uncovered the hidden drugs during a meticulous inspection of the passenger’s baggage. Tests confirmed that the liquid substance was cocaine, leading to the smuggler’s immediate arrest under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985.
Following her detention, the suspect was brought before a Mumbai city court and has since been remanded to judicial custody. Investigators believe she is part of a larger international narcotics syndicate. Her ongoing interrogation is expected to shed light on the identities of her accomplices and the extensive network involved in the drug trafficking operation.
This arrest is the latest in a series of drug smuggling attempts thwarted by DRI officers at Indian airports. Just this year, Mumbai DRI officials seized nearly 20 kilograms of cocaine worth ₹19.79 crore from a foreign national, while a similar operation in Bengaluru last month resulted in the capture of a 24-year-old Kenyan with ₹30 crore worth of cocaine hidden in a false luggage compartment.
These incidents underscore the growing sophistication of drug traffickers, who continue to devise new methods to avoid detection. Despite the small quantities involved, the challenge of intercepting these drugs remains significant, prompting authorities to enhance security measures and vigilance at key entry points across the country.
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Cocaine Hidden in Shampoo Bottles Seized from Kenyan at Mumbai Airport