Brazilian with cocaine in 64 swallowed capsules held at IGI airport in Delhi

New Delhi: A Brazilian man has been arrested from IGI airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country Rs 3 crore worth cocaine, which he had swallowed in form of 64 capsules, a statement issued by the customs department on Sunday said. 

The passenger was intercepted after his arrival from Sao Paulo via Addis Ababa on August 27, it said. 

According to the statement, the man had swallowed 64 capsules containing 620 grams of white coloured powder which preliminary narcotics testing has revealed to be cocaine worth around Rs 3.1 crore. 

The passenger has been arrested and the narcotic seized. It was the second significant narcotics seizure (in the form of capsules swallowed by passengers) effected by customs officials at Delhi international airport. 

About 1.7 kg of cocaine, worth nearly Rs 10 crore was seized by the customs officials from two foreign passengers — Bolivian and a Kenyan — on August 24. The duo had swallowed about 145 capsules of cocaine, which were extracted at a city-based hospital. 

In the hospital, 89 capsules weighing 890 grams, which tested positive for cocaine, were extracted from the Bolivian national. 

Similarly, 56 capsules, containing 842 grams of cocaine, were extracted from the Kenyan national. 

In total, 1.7 kg of cocaine was recovered from them. The foreigners were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.