The Mumbai Customs department arrested a passenger from Ghana at the international airport here for trying to smuggle cocaine into India. He had swallowed 87 capsules containing cocaine.
Security forces recovered 1,300 gm of cocaine from him which is worth Rs 13 crore. The Mumbai Police have registered a case against the accused and started the investigation.
He was intercepted on August 28 and taken to a state-run hospital. The drug carrier ejected the capsules over three days. The passenger has been arrested under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and a probe is underway, said the official source.
"During the search, officials did not find anything in his luggage, but during the investigation, the officials found that he had swallowed 87 capsules containing Cocaine," said a tweet from the Mumbai Customs-III handle.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman appreciated the department and tweeted: "Being alert to prevent the drug menace! Well done."
In another incident, the Mumbai Customs busted a drug syndicate smuggling goods from the US and operating in Mumbai. Three people were arrested in the trade of drugs. Two weeks ago, a woman arriving from Ethiopia was caught by the Customs department with 500 gms of cocaine at Mumbai Airport. It was worth Rs 5 crore. The drug was found concealed in her purse.