Man held at Mumbai airport with cocaine valued at Rs 33.60cr
Darpan News Desk IANS, 01 Feb, 2023 01:29 PM
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday arrested an air passenger from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here for possessing 3,360 gram cocaine valued at Rs 33.60 crore.
A DRI official said that they got a specific intelligence tip off that an Indian national arriving from Addis Ababa to Mumbai by Ethiopian Airlines flight might be carrying a narcotic substance.
The DRI intercepted that passenger following the tip-off.
"On examination of his luggage, 16 small soap boxes were recovered. On thorough examination of soap boxes, the officials observed that something is concealed beneath the wax like layer of the soaps. Officers removed the outer wax layer and found a soap bar wrapped in a transparent plastic. The officers scratched the soap cake and a powdery substance was found concealed. The same was tested with a narcotics field testing kit and tested positive for cocaine," the official said.
The DRI said: "Net weight of the recovered substance was 3,360 grams valued at Rs 33.60 crore."
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Addressing the media at his residence on Monday evening after nine hours of interrogation by the CBI at its headquarters here in connection with the case, Sisodia said, "During questioning, I understood that this is not a case about excise policy or corruption. The case is only aimed at making 'Operation Lotus' a success in Delhi."
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During the parole, he will be staying on the Dera's premises in Rajasthan. He has been lodged in Sunaria jail since 2017 after being convicted in rape and murder cases. Last year he was also released from the jail thrice for various reasons, including his plea to meet the ailing mother.
