Chennai NCB Busts Major Cocaine Trafficking Syndicate at Airport

The Narcotics Control Bureau in Chennai, collaborating with the Air Intelligence Unit, seized 5.618 kg of cocaine valued at Rs 60 crore at Chennai airport. Arrests were made, revealing a larger transnational syndicate. Investigations continue to uncover and apprehend the network's members.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Chennai, alongside the Air Intelligence Unit and Chennai Customs, executed a successful operation by confiscating 5.618 kg of cocaine at Chennai International Airport. Two Indian nationals were taken into custody following the bust, which involved contraband transported on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Chennai.

The intercepted cocaine holds an estimated street value of at least Rs 60 crore in India, typically retailed in one-gram sachets priced between Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000. Investigations disclosed that the arrested individuals are linked to a wider transnational drug ring, orchestrating cocaine traffic from Ethiopia to India, with multiple past trips illuminating their trafficking activities.

Further inquiries led to the detention of a Nigerian national in Delhi, who has been overstaying his medical visa since 2024. As part of the syndicate's operations, he orchestrated the distribution network from Delhi. The NCB is pursuing leads regarding a person of Indian descent in Ethiopia who facilitates cocaine supply and profit distribution among syndicate members. Efforts intensify to identify remaining members and trace the financial pathway.

(With inputs from agencies.)