The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apprehended a Sierra Leone national attempting to smuggle cocaine worth ₹11 crore. The illicit substance was concealed in 74 capsules inside the suspect’s stomach. The capsules, weighing a total of 1,108 grams, were discovered by doctors at the state-run J J Hospital on Saturday.
Acting on specific information, the DRI team intercepted the Sierra Leone passenger at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) upon his arrival in the city on March 28. During questioning, the man confessed to ingesting the cocaine capsules in an effort to clandestinely transport the banned narcotic substance into India.
Following a court order, the suspect was admitted to JJ Hospital, where a team of doctors surgically removed the 74 cocaine-filled capsules from his abdomen. Subsequently, he was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and remanded to judicial custody.
This incident marks the second case within a week involving a Sierra Leone national caught with cocaine at the Mumbai airport. On March 24, a woman from the African nation was arrested with 1,979 grams of cocaine valued at ₹19.79 crore. She had ingeniously concealed the illicit drug in shoes, moisturizer and shampoo bottles, as well as antiperspirants.
