Bangalore, Nov 2 (DHNS): In the biggest haul of the year, the Bangalore City police on Sunday evening arrested three foreign nationals and recovered 43 kg of hashish from them. 

The seized narcotic is worth about Rs 43 crore in the international market.

“The accused have been identified as Merke, 50, of Poland; Ruby Water, 40, of Switzerland and John Touchler, 45, of Austria,” City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said.

Immigration Branch Police Inspector, Sridhar, and his staff grew suspicious of the baggage of the three and seized them at once for examination.

The accused had concealed the banned narcotic in their suitcases and bags.

“The test revealed the material to be hashish,” Bidari said.

The accused had procured the substance from Cambodia. John Touchler managed to smuggle it to Delhi.

He joined the remaining two in the capital from where they headed to Bangalore by the Karnataka Express train.

The trio reached the Bangalore City railway station on Sunday and proceeded to the Bengaluru International Airport, from where they were planning to fly to London by the Emirates airlines (flight No. EK 567) via Dubai.