DRI seizes 4 kg cocaine hidden in comic books at Bengaluru airport, one held

Bengaluru, July 19 (IANS) An Indian passenger who arrived from Doha at Bengaluru International Airport was arrested for carrying over four kg cocaine valued at around Rs 40 crore, an official of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) said on Saturday.

The contraband was concealed in two superhero comics/magazines, which were found to be unusually heavy, said the official.

The DRI officers carefully recovered the white powder, which tested positive as cocaine, concealed in the covers of magazines and arrested the male passenger early on Friday under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the official said.

In a separate case earlier, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Srinagar Zone, busted a narcotics smuggling racket operating in South Kashmir and arrested a former militant and his aide.

Acting on specific intelligence, NCB Srinagar conducted a targeted operation in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8-9.

The operation led to the seizure of about 28 kilograms of poppy straw and the arrest of the two accused – former militant Shabir, resident of Nowshera, Police Station Srigufwara, District Anantnag, and Amin, resident of Kanelwan, Police Station Bijbehara, District Anantnag.

Based on disclosures during interrogation, about 11 kilograms more poppy straw were recovered from the premises of Shabir, a resident of Nowshera, Srigufwara, Anantnag.

Investigation revealed that Shabir had been a member of the banned outfit Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and had been arrested in 1996 for terror activities and released in 2004.

Verification of Amin’s criminal background revealed his previous involvement in NDPS cases, one of which was registered at Police Station Indaura, Himachal Pradesh, in 2017, and another registered at Police Station Srigufwara, District Anantnag, involving seizure of 523 kilograms of poppy straw. He is learnt to have been released on bail in both these cases.

An official said the backward and forward linkages in the case are being identified. It is gathered that the syndicate procures contraband from local poppy cultivators and facilitates its interstate transport via illicit channels.

The establishment of the NCB office in Srinagar forms part of the Union Government's strategic initiative to bolster narcotics enforcement in Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS

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