Man held at Mumbai airport with cocaine valued at Rs 33.60cr
Darpan News Desk IANS, 01 Feb, 2023 01:29 PM
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday arrested an air passenger from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here for possessing 3,360 gram cocaine valued at Rs 33.60 crore.
A DRI official said that they got a specific intelligence tip off that an Indian national arriving from Addis Ababa to Mumbai by Ethiopian Airlines flight might be carrying a narcotic substance.
The DRI intercepted that passenger following the tip-off.
"On examination of his luggage, 16 small soap boxes were recovered. On thorough examination of soap boxes, the officials observed that something is concealed beneath the wax like layer of the soaps. Officers removed the outer wax layer and found a soap bar wrapped in a transparent plastic. The officers scratched the soap cake and a powdery substance was found concealed. The same was tested with a narcotics field testing kit and tested positive for cocaine," the official said.
The DRI said: "Net weight of the recovered substance was 3,360 grams valued at Rs 33.60 crore."
As Bhagwanpuria's counsel Deepak Sharma said that there was danger to the life of his client, the Punjab Police said then keeping the threats in mind, they brought extra vehicles with armed police personnel for the safety of the accused.
According to the cause list uploaded on the apex court website, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and J.K. Maheshwari will pronounce the order on January 25. The apex court had reserved its order on Mishra's plea on January 19.
Accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala is accused of killing his live-in partner Walkar and then chopping her body into several pieces and storing them in a refrigerator before disposing of them in the Chhatarpur forest near his house over a period of three months.
After the process of identification is over, the bodies will be brought to Ghazipur. On January 16, family members of the four youths were sent to Kathmandu by road with head of Chak Jainab village Vijay Jaiswal, nayab tehsildar and a revenue inspector to claim and bring back the bodies.
Also on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the occasion of Parakram Jayanti and said: "Today, on Parakram Diwas, I pay homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and recall his unparalleled contribution to India's history."
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Health Minister Balbir Singh said the inauguration program would be held in Amritsar on January 27. The Chief Minister will inaugurate the clinics, while AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the programme as the chief guest.
