Chennai: The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) and narcotics control bureau (NCB), in joint action, had seized 3 kg cocaine smuggled to Chennai from Brazil and arrested a Portuguese national, on Thursday.
According to the DRI Chennai unit press statement, based on a tip-off, the officers of the two agencies intercepted a passenger when he arrived at Chennai Airport and questioned him.
“Though the passenger initially denied having carried the drugs, on persistent questioning and scanning of his check-in baggage he admitted that the baggage contained 3 kg of cocaine,” the statement said.Although the DRI official statement refrained from mentioning the name of the alleged smuggler, the sources said the accused is a Portuguese national - Dais Coimdra Lourenco (35). He had come to Chennai by Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai at 8.30 on Thursday. “On opening the baggage, the officers had found an electrical appliance in cardboard packing, appearing to be a UPS. The officers opened the device and removed the Copper coil and adhesive tape and found 3 kg of cocaine in 6 packets,” the DRI said.
The total worth of seized cocaine is Rs 9 crore in international market.
Even though the DRI detained the passenger and sent the packets to the lab for testing, on Thursday, the arrest was made on Friday. “The test results have arrived on Friday and they determined the package is cocaine. He was arrested under NDPS Act and remanded him to judicial custody,” the DRI sources said. The accused also admitted to the DRI sleuths that he had smuggled the drug from Brazil and about to deliver at a hotel. “However, the accused has not identified his contacts in the city ,” the sources said.
