Brazilian national held at Mumbai airport with drugs worth over Rs 11 crore

A Brazilian national was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Mumbai airport for allegedly smuggling Rs 11.1 crore worth of drugs, the officials said on Thursday.

The officials said that the DRI Mumbai intercepted the Brazilian national who had arrived in the city from Sao Paulo.

“Based on intelligence, authorities suspected the passenger of carrying narcotics,” an official said.

Upon conducting a personal search, officers found seven pouches containing a viscous liquid substance, which were stitched into the passenger`s inner clothing. A field test confirmed that the liquid substance was cocaine. The passenger admitted to carrying the drugs, the officials said.

“A total of 1,110 grams of liquid cocaine, valued at approximately Rs. 11.1 crores in the illicit market, was recovered. The drugs were seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985,” said the official.

The Brazilian national was arrested and charged under the provisions of the NDPS Act, the officials said, adding that further investigations were underway.