Filipina held with cocaine worth Rs 25 cr

KOCHI: In one of the biggest narcotic hauls in the state, a Filipina was arrested with 4.7 kg of cocaine worth more than `25 crore at the Nedumbassery airport on Monday. The arrested, Jonna De Torres, 36, had arrived here from Sao Paulo via Muscat. According to Narcotics Control Bureau officers, the international drugs racket has been smuggling cocaine to Kerala following an increase in demand here. "The NCB sleuths intercepted the woman after she was found waiting for someone in a suspicious manner prior to immigration clearance.

The cocaine was found concealed inside two packets in her baggage. She is a carrier for an international racket that supplies drugs to Kochi. During interrogation, she claimed the package was supposed to be handed over to someone who would arrive outside the airport," an NCB officer said.

 This is the third incident in the past two months in which the NCB arrested foreign nationals coming from Sao Paulo with cocaine. Previously, a Paraguayan and Venezuelan were arrested with cocaine in two separate cases from the Nedumbassery airport. "This is a clear indication demand for drugs has increased in Kerala, especially in Kochi, in the wake of Christmas and New Year parties," the officer said.

However, the agencies could only nab the carriers who were hired for supplying the drugs. "In all the cases, the drugs were supplied by a racket based in Sao Paulo. We are attempting to track down the persons for whom the cocaine was sent. It will be a difficult task to nab the kingpin of the racket which would require the assistance of agencies abroad," he said.The accused person will be produced before the Magistrate Court. NCB will seek the custody of the accused.

15 arrested with high-end drugs from rave parties

Kochi: The city shadow police sleuths arrested 15 persons with high-end drugs, including LSD and MDMA, from rave DJ parties conducted in various locations in the city during New Year's Eve. Shine Zachariah, 34, a native of Thrissur, was arrested with LSD stamps during a rave party conducted at a hotel in Mulavukad; Shafeeq, 21, of Ambalakkad, Wayanad, with MDMA from a confidential rave party in Elamakkara, while Mohammed Afsal, 21, also from Wayanad, was arrested from the parking lobby of a hotel in Maradu with LSD stamps. Rahul, 22, of Kannamali, Sarath, 27, of Muppathadam, Shijin, 22, of Vennala, Sujith, 23, Sanjay Sanju, 22 and Midhun, 25,  all hailing from Thrissur, Rasheed, 24, of Payyoli in  Kozhikode, and Shuhaib, 25, and Sijin, 22, of Kochi were arrested with ganja and other narcotics.