Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi recently arrested a Brazilian passenger for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth approximately ₹13.45 crore. The passenger who arrived on December 26, 2024, was apprehended after crossing the Customs Green Channel at Terminal 3.
The individual, travelling on a Brazilian passport, had arrived in New Delhi via Flight AF453 from São Paulo to Paris and then Flight AF226 from Paris to New Delhi.
“He had swallowed the capsules right before the flight landed in India” said a customs official in Delhi. The attempt could have been fatal. The official said that such persons are often "used as mules, and paid to carry the drugs".
Upon interception, a personal search of the passenger led to the recovery of 34 capsules, suspected to contain narcotics. During the investigation, he confessed to ingesting additional capsules containing prohibited substances and was subsequently taken to Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, for medical examination. The offender expelled 57 more capsules over the course of his stay. In total, 91 oval-shaped capsules were recovered, containing a white, powdery substance. Tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine, with a total weight of 897gm.
A security official reported that December saw the highest number of drug seizures this year, with 7 to 8 incidents occurring during the month.
“Around 80-90 per cent of cases are linked to Africa,” the official told THE WEEK. “Cocaine usually comes from Thailand, whereas the hydrophobic weed—a lab-grown variety— is sourced from Africa.”
The seized cocaine, valued at Rs 13.45 crore, has been confiscated along with the material used for its concealment under Section 43(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger was arrested on January 6 under Section 43(b), while reportedly violating provisions of Sections 8, 21, 23, and 29 of the act.
Further investigation into the case is ongoing, with authorities trying to uncover the network involved in this smuggling attempt.
