Cocaine worth Rs 22 crore seized at Chennai Airport, Kenyan woman arrested
The woman had hidden the drugs in her shoes and was attempting to smuggle them into India. She had five other pairs of shoes in the bag in which cocaine was found stuffed.
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CHENNAI: In a major drug bust, customs officials at Chennai International Airport seized 2.2 kilograms of cocaine worth Rs 22 crore from a Kenyan woman who arrived from Nigeria via Doha.
The woman, aged around 30, was arrested and is being questioned by authorities.
According to officials, the woman had hidden the drugs in her shoes and was attempting to smuggle them into India. She had five other pairs of shoes in the bag in which cocaine was found stuffed.
The drugs were discovered after a thorough search of her luggage and person.
The woman has been identified as a member of an international drug trafficking syndicate, and further investigation is underway to uncover her connections in Chennai.
The seized cocaine is believed to be of high purity and is estimated to be worth Rs 22 crore in the international market.
The arrest and seizure have sent shockwaves through the airport, and authorities are working to uncover the extent of the drug trafficking network in Chennai.
It may be noted that in the first week of June and in April DRI had seized Rs.35 crore worth cocaine at Chennai airport in two separate incidents. In February also the authorities had seized Rs 27 crore worth cocaine from an air passenger.