Customs officials at the Chennai airport seized drugs worth Rs1.61 crore from a passenger hailing from Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.
According to Customs sources, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) woman constable, while checking female passengers of an Air India flight bound to Kuwait became suspicious of one Balagiri Dadarbi (35) of Cuddapah who appeared tense. The constable searched her thoroughly and found something hidden inside the inner garments of Dadarbi.
However, as she was trying to retrieve it, Dadarbi bit her hand and tried to get away. However, she was apprehended by other CISF personnel.
Two packets of drugs weighing about 300 gm were found hidden in Dadarbi’s undergarments.
When Dadarbi’s luggage was searched following this, security personnel found about 1.3 kg of the substance hidden among three saris. Dadarbi was immediately handed over to Customs officials who arrested her.
During enquiry, she revealed that two persons in Cuddapah had asked her to carry the parcel and deliver it to a person in Kuwait. She also said that she was promised `10, 000 for acting as courier. “The duo gave me three saris and two packets of medicinal powder. I carried them to make easy money,” she told officials.
“The drug will be sent for lab testing to ascertain the substance,” an official told DC. Of late, there has been an increase in drug seizures at Chennai airport. Last month, Customs officials caught a passenger trying to smuggle 60 kg ephedrine to Malaysia.