In a major drug haul, the Delhi Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested three women including a Bolivian national and seized 3.2kg cocaine.
Taj Hassan, Deputy Director General, NCB said, "The woman has been identified as Fernando Rengel Grageda (20). She was apprehended for trafficking 3.2 Kg Cocaine the sleuths of the NCB on May 15.
"We had received a tip-off that Grageda will arrive at the Indira Gandhi International Airport by Ethiopian Airline on Monday and accordingly surveillance was kept at the IGI Airport. After she arrived at the IGI Airport, she checked in a Hotel at Paharganj," said the official.
Under the supervision of Madho Singh, Zonal Director and Superintendents Jaikishan and Tulika Morang, a team was formed.
"Since technical surveillance was mounted on the movements of the woman, the sleuths also got to know that one Shilpa (28), resident of Senapati District in Manipur will come to take the consignment and while she was taking over the consignment, both the ladies were apprehended. Shilpa revealed that she was supposed to hand over the consignment to another Indian lady Sanali Khan alias Joyce Karoung (41), a resident of Saikul district, Manipur at a designated place, and accordingly she was also apprehended. On further interrogation of Joyce, she disclosed that the owner of the consignment is one Odonga Chickwuebuka Stephen (38), a Nigerian national, and accordingly he was also apprehended. The apprehended Bolivian national disclosed that she was given the consignment at Bolivia by a Nigerian national, namely Nagreta. She was supposed to get $4000 for working as carrier of this consignment..
In a second incident, the NCB on May 12 had apprehended a Bolivian drug trafficker and recovered 500 grams of cocaine.
"On May 12, a Delhi NCB team had intercepted Soleto Justiniano Fernando at the IGI Airport, who came to Delhi by Ethiopian Airline flight no ET686 from Sao Paolo via Adis Ababa. It was suspected that he was carrying the drug in his bag or had swallowed cocaine capsules in his stomach. Since the drug was not found in his baggage, he was taken to Safdarjung Hospital for X-ray of his abdomen. During the X-ray, it was confirmed that some foreign bodies are concealed inside his stomach. The suspect was admitted in the hospital and he expelled 50 capsules of drugs which weighed approximately 500 gms. During enquiry, it was found that Fernando’s Bolivian passport was issued on April 17. He was to go to Goa and delivered the drugs to a receiver whose name and address was not known to him.
In a third incident of hauling up drug traffickers, the team of Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau had seized 440 grams of Amphetamine on May 15 in which a South African national Franklyn R Zodwa was apprehended. He was staying in India since January last year though his business permit visa which had expired six months ago. In a conventional modus operandi, he arrived at the Gol Dakhana Post Office to dispatch a parcel for Australia. Based on intelligence input, he was detained before he could dispatch the parcel. He was involved in one case of drug trafficking to Australia investigated by the NCB Delhi unit.