DRI Mumbai cracks drug network, two foreign nationals held

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has busted an alleged drug trafficking network and seized 547 grams of a substance that tested positive for cocaine/methaqualone during an operation in Mira Road, Mumbai, the agency said in a statement.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers launched surveillance after receiving information that a Kenyan national was travelling by bus from Indore to Mumbai to allegedly deliver a consignment of narcotic drugs to a Nigerian national.

According to the agency, DRI officials intercepted the Kenyan woman along with a Nigerian national who had arrived in Mira Road to receive the suspected drug consignment.

During the examination of the Kenyan national's bag, officers recovered two packets marked “LV”. The packets contained a white crystalline substance with a combined weight of 547 grams. The substance was tested using an NDPS field-testing kit and was found to be positive for cocaine/methaqualone, the DRI said.

The recovered substance has been seized, and both individuals have been arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The agency said further investigation into the case is currently underway.

In its statement, the DRI said, “This operation reflects DRI’s continued commitment to intelligence-led enforcement against the trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, thereby disrupting drug trafficking networks and safeguarding public health and society from the menace of narcotics.”

The agency said such operations are aimed at identifying and disrupting organised networks involved in the illicit movement and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Intelligence-led surveillance, it added, remains an important component of efforts to prevent illegal drug trafficking and curb the circulation of narcotics.

The DRI also linked the latest enforcement action to the broader government campaign against drug abuse and illicit narcotics. The agency said sustained enforcement efforts contribute to the Government’s vision of a 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan' by reducing the availability and illegal circulation of narcotic drugs.

The seizure in Mira Road comes as enforcement agencies continue to intensify efforts against drug trafficking networks operating across state and international boundaries. The DRI's investigation is expected to establish the source of the seized substance, its intended destination and the wider network, if any, connected to the two arrested individuals.

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