In one of the biggest drug hauls at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in recent times, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials arrested two women drug peddlers from Uganda and Zambia and seized 12 kg of heroin worth ₹78 crore from their possession in the last two days.
Acting on a tip-off, DRI sleuths on Saturday intercepted an Ugandan woman when she came to the airport to collect her missing baggage. She had come to Hyderabad from Zambia via Johannesburg and Doha, a few days ago. The baggage was examined and found to have concealment in the sides. The powder was recovered and tested positive for presence of heroin. The drug was seized and the woman was arrested under the provisions of NDPS Act 1985.
Further, in the little hours of Sunday, the officials intercepted a Zambian woman passenger who flew from Zambia via Johannesburg and Doha. “Detailed examination of her baggage resulted in recovery of off-white powder from beneath the pipe rolls, which was brought in the baggage. The substance tested positive for heroin,” the officials said.
She was identified as Makumba Carol and was carrying eight kg of heroin.
Heroin, an opioid derivative, is highly addictive. People inject, snort, or smoke heroin. People who regularly use heroin often develop a tolerance, which means that they need higher and/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the desired effects, the DRI official said.