Cocaine worth Rs.6.5 crore seized from Peruvian in Delhi

A 64-year-old Peruvian national has been arrested with 1.3 kg of pure cocaine worth Rs.6.5 crore in the international market, police said here on Wednesday.

Earlier, Delhi Police mistakenly valued the seized cocaine at Rs.65 crore. However, Joint Vommissioner of police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav later clarified that the value of the seized drug in the international market was Rs.6.5 crore and not Rs.65 crore.

"The value of cocaine seized in the international market is Rs.6.5 crore, and not Rs.65 crore," Ravindra Yadav told media persons.

Peruvian national Armando Lopes Reyes was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here on Monday, when he arrived from Sao Paulo in Brazil via Dubai on an Emirates flight.

Police said the drug was concealed in the cavities of the trolley bag wrapped in four layers of plastic and silver foil to avoid X-ray detection.

Reyes told police that the bags had been given to him by one person named Juan in Sao Paulo to hand over the consignment of cocaine to a person named Ali in Delhi.

"The accused was given 1,000 US dollars by Juan and another 500 US dollars was promised on his return back to Sao Paulo," said the official.

With his arrest, Delhi Police claimed to have busted an international drug trafficking module indulging in supply of cocaine in Delhi from Brazil.

"The consignment is one of the biggest seizures of 'pure cocaine' in the history of Delhi Police. The highly lucrative route of Brazil-Sao Paulo-Delhi has been identified, which was being used by the drug traffickers," Yadav said.

Police said that Reyes had travelled to India thrice in May, July and October in 2014.

"His interrogation is being done to unearth the whole racket of drugs syndicate being operated from South America and also having its tentacles in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America," said Yadav.

He said a hunt has now been launched to nab the receiver of the consignment in Delhi.