DRI Seizes Rs 2.74 Crore Drugs in Mira Road, Arrests Two Foreign Nationals
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, seized 547 grams of cocaine and methaqualone valued at approximately Rs 2.74 crore and arrested two foreign nationals in Mira Road on August 28 in connection with an alleged drug trafficking network.
According to the agency, the operation was executed based on specific intelligence indicating that a Kenyan woman was travelling by bus from Indore to Mumbai carrying a consignment of narcotic drugs. The intelligence further revealed that she was en route to deliver the contraband to a Nigerian national in Mumbai.
Acting on the tip-off, DRI officers mounted surveillance in the Mira Road area and intercepted the Kenyan woman. A Nigerian national, who had allegedly arrived at the location to receive the consignment, was also intercepted by the team.
During a search of the Kenyan woman's bag, officers recovered two packets bearing the marking "LV". The packets contained a white crystalline substance with a combined weight of 547 grams.
The seized substance was tested using a field Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) testing kit, which returned a positive result for both cocaine and methaqualone. Officials estimated the illicit market value of the seized drugs at roughly Rs 2.74 crore.
The contraband was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and both individuals were placed under arrest under the same Act.
The DRI is currently investigating the origin of the seized narcotics, their intended final destination, and the specific roles played by the two arrested persons in the trafficking operation. Investigators are also probing whether additional individuals were involved in the transport, supply, or distribution of the consignment as part of a wider illicit network.
