The Customs officials at Chennai airport arrested two persons on Saturday, August 13, and recovered cocaine and heroin valued at Rs 111.41 cr from their possession. In the first case, based on intelligence inputs the Customs officials intercepted a male passenger on August 11 and recovered 6.2 kg cocaine and 3.57 kg heroin worth around Rs 100 cr from his possession, Customs officials said. They had confiscated cocaine and heroin concealed in the cabin luggage, shoes and slippers of the passenger. The passenger had arrived from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. "The accused has been placed under arrest under the relevant sections of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act," the official said.
In the second case, on August 9, the Customs officials intercepted a woman from Angola who had also arrived from Addis Ababa. On searching her handbag, 1.183 kg of cocaine valued at Rs 11.41 crore was found. She was also arrested under various sections of the NDPS Act. A press release from the Customs department said that further investigation is underway.
The seizure of cocaine and heroin worth over Rs 100 crore was made for the first time at the Chennai airport, according to PTI. The earlier highest seizure of the drugs was valued at Rs 11 crore and that was made last month.
In April 2022, Customs officials at the Chennai airport arrested three people for smuggling 49.2 kgs of Pseudoephedrine worth Rs 9.86 crore. A senior Customs official said that based on specific information, Chennai Customs Air Cargo Intelligence Unit (ACIU), seized 49.2 kgs Pseudoephedrine concealed inside paper board packing material from a UAE bound export consignment.
Earlier in March, the Chennai Customs department had confiscated MDMA tablets and ganja worth Rs 1.61 lakh that arrived from the Netherlands, at the Foreign Post Office in Chennai. Acting on specific inputs, the department officials found MDMA tablets and the narcotic substance in two parcels that came from the Netherlands.
(With PTI and IANS inputs)
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