With the arrest of two Zambian nationals in two separate operations, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has recovered more than five kilogram (kg) of heroin at Terminal-3, Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
The accused has been identified as Mulapi Joshua, who was arrested December 25 while Mambwe William was apprehended on December 31. With their arrest, the reverse route of trafficking of Heroin into India has been busted.
According to KPS Malhotra, the Deputy Director of NCB, in the first incident, on December 25, after receiving specific inputs Mulapi Joshua was apprehended at T-3 of IGI airport.
“From the search of his luggage, the NCB team recovered 4.650 kg of heroin in the cavities made inside the luggage bag. The complete network of such traffickers was identified and further information was developed,” the deputy director said.
“As a result, on December 31, one more Zambian national, Mambwe William was apprehended. From the search of his luggage, 700 gm of heroin was recovered, hidden in the cavities made in the luggage bag,” Malhotra said.
“The vigil of Border Guarding Forces had made the drug traffickers shift to some other route. Thus, the Drug Traffickers had started pushing drugs into India through two different routes. Now, heroin sourced from Afghanistan and Pakistan is shipped via sea cargo to Sri Lanka and Maldives to evade detection. Then from Maldives and Sri Lanka, Heroin is trafficked in India,” Malhotra added.
“Another route identified by the official is that heroin is trafficked to African Countries from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Then through the air route, with the help of couriers and passengers, heroin is being trafficked into India,” Malhotra said.