Rs 100 crore heroin seized at Chennai airport, two held

CHENNAI: In one of the biggest seizures of narcotics at Chennai international airport, 15.6kg of heroin valued at Rs 100 crore was seized from two Tanzanian nationals on Friday, customs officials said. They were arrested.
Customs said a high alert was declared at the airport based on information and inputs from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) that narcotic drugs from African countries was likely to be smuggled into India.
A couple, who arrived on a Qatar Airways flight (QR 528) from Johannesburg via Doha, was intercepted at the exit on suspicion of carrying narcotics. When questioned, they appeared nervous and gave evasive replies. They were identified as Deborah Eliah, 46, and Felix Obadia, 45. They were carrying two stroller bags each as their check-in baggage. When the baggage was examined, it was found that there was a false bottom in which plastic packets were concealed. In each bag, five plastic packets containing a white coarse powder were found.
The packets were sprinkled with some spicy powder to camouflage the odour. The powder tested positive for heroin. It was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, read with the Customs Act.
On questioning, it was found that Eliah was travelling to India for medical treatment in a super speciality hospital in Bengaluru along with her attendant Felix. They were travelling on a visa granted to them on the basis of communication from the hospital. As they could not get a direct flight to Bengaluru, they had landed in Chennai.