Heroin worth Rs 11.53 cr seized in T'gana, Tanzanian national held

Heroin weighing 1,389 grams and valued at Rs 11.53 crore has been seized from a Tanzanian national at the international airport here following which he was arrested, Customs department said on Wednesday.

Based on the passenger's profiling and body language, the officials of Air Intelligence Unit, Hyderabad Customs Commissionerate intercepted the 50-year-old Tanzanian, who arrived from Johannesburg (via Abu Dhabi) by a flight recently, they said.

During inquiry, he confessed to having ingested capsules containing heroin. After obtaining the Magistrate's permission, the passenger was admitted to a hospital and under medical supervision, over a period of six days, he purged out a total of 108 capsules containing heroin wrapped in adhesive transparent tape, a release from Customs said.

The capsules were cut open and the smuggled heroin weighing 1,389.100 grams and worth

Rs 11.53 crore in the international grey market was seized, it said.

The passenger was arrested on May 3 under NDPS Act, 1985 and remanded to judicial custody.

During investigation, it was revealed that he swallowed the capsules in Tanzania. He was supposed to purge them over a period of three to four days and hand over to an unknown person, Customs officials said.

Further investigation is in progress.