Delhi: NCB seizes cocaine worth Rs. 15.2 crore, three foreign nationals arrested

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized three kilogram of cocaine worth Rs. 15.5 crore and arrested three Vietnamese national from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

The accused were nabbed yesterday. This is the second such seizure in past two weeks.

Initially two Vietnamese nationals were tailed by the officials from the Airport which led to the third accused, who is an African national, who was residing in a hotel in Paharganj.

The officials stated that a travel pattern of the two accused showed that they crossed half of the globe to bring cocaine to India.

"Their travel records show that they first flew from Ho Chi Minh city on January 12th to Bangkok. From Bangkok, they flew to Adis Ababa and reached on January 13th. From Adis Ababa, they took another flight to Lome. After staying in the Ethopian capital for five days, they took a flight for New Delhi on January 20," officials said.

The agency further stated that lax security in African airports particularly in Adis Ababa and Lome' have made them an attractive place for transit of cocaine.

The officials informed that cocaine consignment from Peru, Bolivia and Columbia, first go to Brazil and ?from there the charter flights are used to ship them to Africa.

Most of the consignment for Coke comes from Lome and Adis Ababa. Couriers are being paid approximately 4000 to 5000 dollars for each shipment.

However, despite travelling to many countries, they were carrying only a hand baggage in which the drug was concealed.

The NCB officials have now asked the Vietnamese Embassy to send a translator as the probe is getting delayed due to language barrier.