Hyderabad: In a major drug haul, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 4.9 kg of cocaine valued at Rs 24.5 crore from a passenger at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here on Tuesday.
The contraband was concealed inside chocolate tubes carried in the baggage of a passenger who arrived from Doha, Qatar.
The unusual weight of the chocolate tubes during baggage screening led DRI officials to uncover the cocaine consignment, which is estimated to be worth Rs 24.5 crore in the illicit market.
The DRI Hyderabad Zonal Unit (HZU) acted on specific intelligence regarding an Indian passenger arriving at RGIA from Doha who was suspected of carrying cocaine in his baggage.
A team of DRI HZU officers intercepted the passenger and examined his baggage.
During the baggage check, officers found the passenger carrying seven Lindt Lindor Assorted Filled Dark Chocolate selection tubes, each marked as weighing 387 grams.
Officials became suspicious after noticing that the tubes appeared significantly heavier than their stated weight.
After opening and examining the tubes, officers recovered 207 capsules concealed with the chocolates.
The capsules were light-yellow, oval-shaped, and contained a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine.
According to the DRI, the substance tested positive for cocaine when examined using a Narcotic Drug Detection Kit.
The total gross weight of the recovered cocaine was 4.9 kg, with an estimated illicit market value of Rs 24.5 crore.
The DRI seized the contraband and arrested the passenger under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Further investigation is in progress.
In May, the DRI had seized 8.705 kg of high-grade hydroponic ganja worth nearly Rs 3.05 crore from two Indian passengers at RGIA.
The accused, who had arrived from Bangkok, had concealed the ganja in food containers and water bottles.
The Hyderabad Zonal Unit of the DRI had acted on specific intelligence inputs and intercepted the two passengers after they landed in Hyderabad on May 19.
(IANS)
