Hyderabad: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here seems to be turning into a hub of heroin smuggling as Directorate of Revenue Intelligence sleuths have seized 15 kgs of heroin during the month of June. The latest seizure happened on Monday when a Tanzanian national John Williams was arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence with 3 kgs of heroin. The seized heroin was estimated Rs 20 crores by the department.
Between June 5 and 6, DRI seized as much as 12 kgs of heroin worth Rs 78 crores from two African nationals. On June 5, officers of DRI intercepted a Ugandan woman passenger when she came to RGIA Airport to collect her missing baggage. She had come to Hyderabad from Zimbabwe via Johannesburg and Doha a few days before. The baggage was examined and found to have concealment in the sides. The powder was recovered and tested positive for the presence of Heroin. The Drug was seized and the person was arrested under the provisions of NDPS Act 1985.
On June 6, officers of DRI intercepted a Zambian woman passenger who flew from Zambia via Johannesburg and Doha. Detailed examination of her baggage resulted in the recovery of off-white powder from beneath the pipe rolls which was brought in the baggage. The substance tested positive for Heroin. The Drug was seized and the person was arrested.
Heroin, an opioid derivative is highly addictive. People inject, snort, or smoke heroin. People who regularly use heroin often develop a tolerance, which means that they need higher and/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the desired effects. Considered as a hard drug, heroin is usually smuggled to the country for transit through Sri Lanka towards Far Eastern countries and beyond, according to official sources. The usual drug smuggled to the country is Cocaine from the South American belt with the base for the end uses increasing gradually.
Read: DRI seizes 12 kgs heroin at Rajiv Gandhi Airport, 2 held
The African nationals detained in the drug peddling hail from poorer African countries like Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe are mere couriers while the kingpins hardly get caught. The heroin comes from the poppy fields of Afghan belt while there are scattered manufacturing units operating in the African countries too. The couriers work for some quick money most of the time not realizing the consequences. For instance, an African woman is languishing in a local prison in Telangana for last six years after she was caught at Hyderabad airport with drugs.
The heroin smugglers, of late, are targeting larger airports in South India. It can be noted that authorities in Chennai arrested two Tanzanian nationals, a man and woman, for smuggling over 15 kilograms of heroin on May 7. Chennai Air Customs said the heroin is worth Rs 100 crores. The peddlers use the air bubble the country has with selected Gulf Countries and the usual route is from Johannesburg in South African to Middle East and towards Indian airports. In all these recent seizures, the drug was stuffed inside check-in baggage either in concealed compartments or items like pipes or packets since the baggages are not screened in Gulf airports for connecting flights.
International smuggling mafia is also making full use of the COVID19 pandemic related scare. The scare to check passengers physically is providing a favourable climate for the smuggling rings to use couriers.
Comparatively, there is a sizeable number of African nationals living in India in many parts of the country, most of them studying in many educational institutions including some in South India. There is also a EXIM route of garments as many African national are involved in importing garments from India especially the garment hub Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu. The kingpins prefer African couriers from poor countries of the continent since they could be termed as African national travelling to India for the purposes like education or medical needs.
