Woman gets 10-year imprisonment for smuggling cocaine in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: A Delhi-based woman who was caught by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials in 2016 at RGI Airport, for smuggling cocaine worth Rs 10 crore from Dubai, was convicted by a city court on Saturday.The court sentenced the woman to undergo 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, DRI officials said. The woman concealed cocaine weighing 1.99 kg inside the covers of five books lined with aluminium foils and was carrying in her backpack. Her handlers fled after the woman’s was caught.

This was a first case of cocaine smuggling by DRI Hyderabad unit, where they secured conviction in a record three years. Earlier they secured conviction in 18-months in  ephedrine smuggling case.

According to DRI officials, the woman, who was 24 then,  arrived from Dubai at RGI airport in May 2016 by an Emirates flight. Based on credible information, she was intercepted and on checking, five hard bound books were found in her backpack. Further, a white powdery substance was deftly concealed inside the covers of five books lined with aluminum foils. The substance was recovered on testing, it was found to be cocaine, weighing 1.99 kg, worth Rs 10 crore.