Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 4: In a major drug bust at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, a 31-year-old Kenyan national was arrested by Airport Customs for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth Rs 51.94 crore into the country.

The accused, Kennedy Chege, had landed in Mumbai from Nairobi and was apprehended on June 2 by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU). During a personal search, officials recovered 5,194 grams of white powder concealed cleverly in an ortho waist belt and calf supporter. Field tests later confirmed the substance to be cocaine.

Upon interrogation, Chege admitted that he was lured by a $1,500 offer from a Nairobi-based handler named Drick, who had been persuading him since January. Financial distress ultimately forced him to accept the risky assignment, he claimed.

“The accused revealed that a delivery boy in Nairobi, allegedly working for Drick, handed him the packets before he boarded his flight. Chege believed he could dodge Customs for a quick buck,” a Customs official shared.

Chege has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further investigations are underway to track down the network involved in the international smuggling racket.

Authorities are also coordinating with overseas agencies to trace the handler and determine if more such courier cases are in the pipeline.