Kenyan Woman Arrested at Chennai Airport with 700 Grams of Cocaine in Her Stomach
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested a 35-year-old Kenyan woman at Chennai International Airport on Monday for allegedly attempting to smuggle 700 grams of cocaine inside her stomach. The suspect had ingested the contraband in the form of 70 individual capsules before boarding her flight.
The arrest followed a targeted surveillance operation conducted by DRI officials at the Chennai International Airport. Authorities had received prior intelligence inputs indicating that a foreign national carrying narcotics would be arriving in the city on an Ethiopian Airlines flight originating from Addis Ababa.
Based on this information, officials monitored the incoming passengers and intercepted the 35-year-old woman during the routine passenger screening process. The woman had reportedly travelled from Kenya to India on a tourist visa.
During the initial interception, DRI officials questioned the passenger regarding her travel. However, her responses during the questioning session were inconsistent, which prompted the officials to subject her to a more rigorous and detailed examination.
Initially, officers conducted a thorough search of her personal baggage. Although no contraband or illegal substances were found hidden within her luggage, suspicions remained. The officials then moved her to the airport hospital for a medical examination.
An X-ray scan performed at the hospital revealed the presence of multiple foreign objects inside her stomach. A specialized medical team was called in to assist the DRI officials. With their medical assistance, a total of 70 capsules were successfully recovered from the woman's body.
Subsequent chemical testing and examination of the recovered capsules confirmed that they contained cocaine. The total weight of the seized narcotics amounted to 700 grams.
Following the extraction and confirmation of the drugs, the DRI officials seized the cocaine. The Kenyan national was formally placed under arrest under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
