Mumbai: A Nigerian national has been hospitalized after he is suspected to have swallowed Cocaine during a raid conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in upscale Juhu on Thursday.
The high drama unfolded outside a five-star hotel in Juhu where the NCB team reached while acting on a tip off. “While gathering information on our ongoing cases against drugs, we detained a Nigerian national who swallowed Cocaine during the commotion,” said an NCB officer privy to the investigation. The Nigerian who is suspected to be involved in drug peddling is being investigated. “We have detained him for investigations,” said the officer.
In such cases, the agencies resort to feeding suspected bananas to the empty stomach. Such concealment of drugs in the body is an old method which is usually used by smugglers while flying through airports. However, such concealment can be life threatening. In 2013, the customs had arrested two Tanzanian nationals at the airport with cocaine capsules weighing 1kg each in their stomach. One of them died after a capsule burst in his stomach.
Sources stated that the recent cases have revealed that cocaine has emerged as the most sought-after drugs owing to its high demand, especially among the rich. A kilogram of Cocaine in the illicit market is valued at Rs 5 to Rs 6 crore. Even adulterated Cocaine is sold anywhere between Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 per gram. The drug is mainly produced in Latin American countries. It is transported to Brazil, wrapped and concealed to Africa’s Lagos or Lome. After that, it is smuggled to India through carriers who have been briefed about the delivery method. Across the country, local peddlers are given small quantities to be sold in metro cities. The peddlers are paid handsomely and they sell it to only specific clientele to avoid being arrested. The network of peddlers carrying small quantities and targeting mostly the youths make it difficult for agencies to bust the entire racket.
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