Chennai (Tamil Nadu): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized narcotics worth Rs 27 crore from a passenger arriving at the Meenambakkam Anna International Airport here on a Scoot Airways flight on Tuesday night from Singapore, officials said on Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials conducted a thorough search and recovered three kilograms of a white powdery substance clandestinely concealed in a box inside a trolley, suspected to be a drug from the possession of 28-year-old Ahmed Idris from Indonesia. Initially claiming it to be a glucose-type powder for energy, Idris' assertion was dismissed, and the substance was sent for lab testing, officials added.
Subsequent analysis revealed the smuggled drug to be highly potent cocaine, though the specific type was initially unclear. The DRI has withheld further details regarding the drug's nature pending investigation.
Following the investigation, Idris' passport revealed multiple visits to Chennai on tourist visas from countries like Thailand, Ethiopia, and United Arab Emirates, raising suspicions of his involvement in drug smuggling.
Authorities are investigating the possibility of his affiliation with an international drug trafficking syndicate. The DRI has arrested Idris and conducting a thorough investigation into the case, including tracking the source and recipients of the seized narcotics.
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