Ugandan National Arrested at Ahmedabad Airport with 981 Grams of Cocaine Hidden in Trolley Bag

Officials said on Friday that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested a Ugandan national at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad after allegedly recovering 981 grams of cocaine concealed inside the telescopic handle and plastic support parts of his trolley bag.

Acting on specific intelligence gathered by the DRI Ahmedabad Zonal Unit, officials intercepted the passenger after he arrived at SVPIA on September 24 on Qatar Airways flight QR-534.

The passenger had allegedly concealed the narcotic substance inside his luggage. According to the DRI, he initially denied carrying any illegal or contraband material.

However, during a detailed examination of his trolley bag, officials found a white powder-like substance packed in polythene packets. The substance had allegedly been cleverly concealed inside the telescopic handle and plastic support parts of the bag.

The recovered substance weighed 981 grams and was confirmed to be cocaine during examination. It was subsequently seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger was also arrested under the same Act.

Further investigation is underway to trace the source and destination of the cocaine and identify any larger network allegedly involved in the smuggling attempt.

The seizure comes at a time when the DRI has carried out several intelligence-based operations across the country, resulting in the seizure of more than 845 kilograms of narcotic substances and the arrest of 15 people.

These cases include the seizure of around 5.8 kilograms of cocaine from an Indian passenger who arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi from Dubai via Doha on September 15. The cocaine was recovered from nine packets found in his checked-in baggage.

In another recent case, the DRI seized 2.659 kilograms of cocaine during two separate operations at Mumbai airport in May. The seized cocaine was estimated to be worth ₹13.295 crore.

In one case, 1.575 kilograms of liquid cocaine was found in eight pouches carried by a passenger arriving from Addis Ababa. In another case, an African male passenger had allegedly swallowed capsules containing 1.084 kilograms of cocaine. Both passengers were arrested under the NDPS Act.