Cocaine Smuggling Attempt Thwarted at Kochi Airport: Kenyan National Arrested

Kenyan national Karanja Michael Nganga was arrested by the DRI at Kochi airport for smuggling cocaine worth Rs 6.68 crores. Based on intelligence, Nganga was intercepted after arriving from Ethiopia via Muscat. X-ray screening revealed foreign bodies in his stomach, which were later extracted and tested positive for cocaine. Approximately 50 capsules containing 668 grams of cocaine were seized. Nganga was presented in court and remanded to Aluva Sub Jail. The investigation is ongoing, with Cochin Airport being under red alert for similar smuggling methods.

A Kenyan national has been arrested by the sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for allegedly smuggling cocaine worth Rs 6.68 crores through the international airport here.

A DRI official said on Sunday that based on specific intelligence, the DRI sleuths intercepted Kenyan national Karanja Michael Nganga, who arrived from Ethiopia via Muscat at Cochin International Airport last week.

He said the DRI officers had specific intelligence indicating that the passenger was carrying a narcotic drug.

However, personal and baggage searches resulted in nil recovery of drugs.

Officers, on the reasonable belief that drugs might be concealed inside his body, subjected the passenger to X-ray screening at a private hospital, which showed a positive indication for foreign bodies inside his stomach.

The passenger was admitted to another private hospital in Angamaly for the extraction of concealed foreign bodies inside his stomach, which the passenger had swallowed.

''With excellent support provided by the doctors and staff of the hospital and a week-long effort, around 50 capsules of foreign bodies were recovered, and upon testing, all the capsules tested positive for cocaine. 668 grams of cocaine worth Rs 6.68 crores were seized by DRI,'' he said.

The accused was produced before the Judicial First-Class Magistrate's Court, Angamaly, and was remanded to Aluva Sub Jail during the early hours of Friday.

Officials said further investigation is ongoing.

Cochin Airport is under red alert for a similar modus operandi of smuggling of narcotic drugs, they added.

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