Drug smugglers held at airport : 1.7 kg of cocaine seized

New Delhi: Customs officials arrested two foreign nationals at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 1.7 kg of cocaine, worth Rs 10 crore, into the country, authorities said on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the Customs Department, the arrested duo had swallowed about 145 capsules of cocaine, which were extracted at a city-based hospital. 

Hospital authorities took four days to extricate the narcotics from the systems of the foreign nationals. Two male passengers -- a Bolivian and a Kenyan -- were intercepted by the customs officials on Friday after their arrival from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, the customs said. 

Detailed examination of their baggage did not lead to the recovery of any incriminating goods. 

Based on reasonable belief that there was concealment of contraband inside their bodies, the passengers were admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, the statement issued by the customs said. 

In the hospital, the Bolivian national evacuated 89 capsules weighing 890 gram, which tested cocaine positive. 

Similarly, the Kenyan evacuated 56 capsules, containing 842 gram of cocaine. In total, 1.7 kg of cocaine was recovered from them. 

The foreigners have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the statement read. 

Officials said the value of the seized cocaine was around Rs 10 crore.