New Delhi, Jul 24 (IANS): The drug cartels are often using improvised techniques to smuggle drugs and dodge the police.

A recently apprehended narcotics cartel was using a car with a secret cavity to smuggle 10 kg of high grade heroin worth Rs 40 crore in the international market.

"The accused used a Hyundai i-20 car for this purpose, in which they concealed drug parcels in the cavity specially created for smuggling drugs and avoid detection during search by law enforcement agencies. But due to some mechanical snag, they parked their car on the highway near Bareilly, UP, and came to Delhi by taking a lift," said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP, Special Cell.

They further said that a heroin parcel of 2 kg was still concealed in the cavity of the car, which was to be delivered to some contact near Bareilly.

On further interrogation, accused Mohammad Ikbal Khan disclosed that to avoid identification, they used to change the colour of the vehicle on every trip by wrapping coating, which cost about Rs 50,000. The recovered i-20 car was then seized and 2 kg of heroin concealed in the secret cavity created below the doors and above the fender lining of the wheels of the car was recovered.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Ikbal Khan and Mohammad Ishak, both residents of Manipur. The du was arrested on July 23 from the GT Road.

A total of 10 kg of high grade heroin worth more than Rs 40 crore in the International market have been recovered from them. Besides, three mobile handsets, SIM cards and the white coloured car used for transportation of the contraband have also been recovered.