DRI officials at Bengaluru Airport seized over 4 kg of cocaine worth Rs 40 crore from a passenger arriving from Doha. The cocaine was cleverly hidden within the covers of superhero comic books. The passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act.
Acting on specific intelligence, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Bengaluru Zonal Unit intercepted an Indian male passenger with over 4 kg of cocaine worth Rs 40 crore.
An Indian man travelling from Doha was arrested by the Bengaluru Zonal Unit's Directorate of Revenue Intelligence agents early on July 18. When his luggage was inspected, it was discovered that the traveler was carrying two remarkably weighty superhero comic magazines. The officers carefully recovered white powder concealed in the covers of the magazines.
The powder was identified as cocaine by the testing. "The total quantity recovered weighed 4,006 grammes, just over 4 kg, having an international market value of around Rs 40 crore," an officer with the DRI stated.
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The passenger was subsequently arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and was remanded to judicial custody on Friday.
Similar Incident At Bengaluru Airport
In a similar incident in March, DRI intercepted a passenger carrying foreign-origin gold bars valued at Rs 12.56 crore at the Bengaluru airport. DRI investigators arrested a 33-year-old Indian woman who had boarded an Emirates aircraft from Dubai to Bengaluru on March 3, 2025, based on specific intelligence. Upon closer inspection, gold bars measuring 14.2 kg were discovered cleverly hidden on the individual.
The Customs Act of 1962 was used to confiscate the contraband, which had a value of Rs. 12.56 crore. After the interception, DRI officers searched her home, which is on Lavelle Road in Bengaluru, where she lives with her spouse. During the search, Rs 2.06 crore worth of gold jewellery and Rs 2.67 crore worth of Indian money were found.
