Mumbai: Ugandan woman held at international airport; 64 capsules containing heroin, cocaine recovered

A woman from Uganda was apprehended at Mumbai international airport with 535 grams of heroin packed in 49 capsules and 175 grams of cocaine in 15 capsules, a Narcotics Control Bureau official said on Friday.

The contraband, valued at Rs 3 crore in the illicit market, was concealed in her body and she had to be admitted in state-run JJ Hospital in Byculla for its extraction, the official said.

She was apprehended in an operation conducted on May 28 on the basis of specific information about the arrival of a woman suspect from Uganda to Mumbai, he said.

"A check was carried out after we zeroed in on the woman in question. But nothing suspicious was found in her luggage. A close examination revealed she may be carrying the contraband by concealing it in her body," he said.

"On sustained questioning, she admitted that 11 capsules had been concealed in her body through careful use of different types of adhesive tapes. At least 10 capsules containing 110 grams heroin were removed. She was then admitted to JJ Hospital for further extraction," he added.

Between May 28 and June 5, a total of 54 capsules were removed, comprising 39 capsules with 425 grams of heroin and 15 capsules having 175 grams of cocaine, taking the total number of capsules removed from her body to 64, the NCB official informed.

The woman has been discharged from hospital and will be brought to the NCB office for further probe into the peddling racket of which she is part, he added.