Brazilian National Arrested at Mumbai Airport for Smuggling Cocaine Worth Rs. 9.73 Crores
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has arrested a Brazilian national who arrived at Mumbai Airport from Sao Paulo. The individual was accused of smuggling drugs into India.
According to a DRI press release, officials seized 973 grams of cocaine, valued at Rs. 9.73 crores on the illicit market. The DRI stated, “Acting on specific intelligence, officers of the Mumbai Zonal Unit intercepted the Brazilian national on September 18 at Mumbai Airport. Upon questioning, the individual admitted to ingesting capsules containing drugs and carrying them internally for smuggling purposes. Following a court order, the passenger was admitted to Sir JJ Hospital, Mumbai.”
Officials reported that the accused expelled a total of 124 capsules containing 973 grams of cocaine, worth Rs. 9.73 crores. The press release further noted, “The 124 capsules containing cocaine, based on field test reports, were seized on September 21, 2024, under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985. The passenger has been arrested, and investigations are ongoing to trace other members of the international drug smuggling syndicate.”
The DRI emphasised that this operation reinforces their commitment to combating the drug menace. In a separate operation in July, the DRI Mumbai Zonal Unit seized 5.34 kg of contraband worth Rs. 5 crores at Mumbai International Airport and arrested one individual, the release added.
Doubts Revealed
Brazilian National -: A Brazilian national is a person who comes from Brazil, a country in South America.
Mumbai Airport -: Mumbai Airport is a big airport in Mumbai, a city in India. It’s where planes take off and land.
Smuggling -: Smuggling means secretly bringing something illegal into a country.
Cocaine -: Cocaine is a very dangerous and illegal drug that people are not allowed to have.
Rs. 9.73 Crores -: Rs. 9.73 crores is a lot of money in Indian currency, equal to 97.3 million rupees.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) -: The DRI is a government agency in India that catches people who try to bring illegal things into the country.
Ingesting drug capsules -: Ingesting drug capsules means swallowing small containers filled with drugs to hide them inside the body.
Court order -: A court order is a decision made by a judge that tells people what they must do.
Seized -: Seized means taken away by the police or authorities because it was illegal.
International drug smuggling syndicate -: An international drug smuggling syndicate is a group of people from different countries who work together to move illegal drugs from one place to another.