In a significant narcotics bust at Kempegowda International Airport, India, a 36-year-old Kenyan woman was apprehended by local police from the Bengaluru unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, was found attempting to smuggle 2.6 kilograms of cocaine, estimated at a staggering Sh13 million.
Acting on a specific tip-off, investigators intercepted the Kenyan passport-holder as she waited to board an IndiGo flight to Delhi on Monday, January 15. The single-piece luggage she had checked in raised suspicions, leading to a thorough examination that exposed a false bottom. Inside were two large pouches sealed with brown duct tape containing the purest form of cocaine, confirmed by a subsequent lab test.
The woman, who arrived in Bengaluru from Mumbai, confessed during interrogation that she had come to India on a tourist visa in August 2023. While initially claiming to be involved in textile trade, the probe suggests she sourced the cocaine from contacts in Bengaluru, intending to hand it over to peddlers in the national capital.
Booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the suspect was produced before a magistrate, remanded in judicial custody, and sent to Bengaluru Central Prison on Monday night. The ongoing investigation aims to trace the origin and destination of the smuggled drug.
This incident marks the first outward smuggling of cocaine from Bengaluru on a domestic flight, according to local authorities. Notably, in 2023, several cases involving Kenyan nationals arrested for drug-related offenses abroad were reported, underscoring the international nature of this pervasive issue.
