Hyderabad, Jul 19 (IANS): Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths on Monday seized about 3.2 kg heroin, valued at Rs 21 crore in the grey market, from a Zambian woman at the Hyderabad International Airport.

DRI officials intercepted the woman passenger, who arrived from Zambia via Johannesburg and Doha.

They checked her baggage and found an off-white powder. The substance tested positive for heroin.

The DRI seized the drug and the woman was arrested under the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

She is the fourth from Africa to be arrested with drugs by the DRI at Hyderabad Airport during last one-and-a-half months. All the accused used the same route to try to smuggle in the drugs to Hyderabad.

On June 21, DRI officials seized three kilograms of heroin from a Tanzanian national who arrived from Johannesburg via Doha.

In the first week of June, the DRI had arrested two women passengers from Zambia and Uganda and seized around 12 kg of heroin valued at Rs 78 crore from them.

The woman from Uganda was arrested on June 5 when she came to the airport to collect her baggage which she claimed was missing. She had landed in Hyderabad from Zimbabwe via Johannesburg and Doha a few days ago. The DRI sleuths found about four kg of heroin concealed in the specially designed suitcase.

On June 6, the DRI officials intercepted a Zambian woman, who arrived from Johannesburg via Doha. They examined her baggage and found eight kg of the powder concealed in the suitcase.