In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has intercepted a massive cocaine smuggling attempt at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI’s Bengaluru zonal team apprehended a passenger arriving from Doha, Qatar, on July 18, and seized 4.006 kg of cocaine valued at ₹40 crore in the international market.
The arrested individual, a 35-year-old man from North India, was allegedly part of a network supplying drugs to African gangs operating in the city. According to officials, the smuggling method was notably unusual — the cocaine was concealed within the covers of two superhero comic books found in his luggage. Officers found the books suspiciously heavy and discovered white powder hidden inside, which later tested positive for cocaine.
The accused was taken into custody under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and is currently in judicial custody. During questioning, he claimed ignorance about the concealed drugs, stating he was unknowingly transporting a consignment of trade goods. However, DRI officials stated that the available evidence contradicts his claims.
Authorities confirmed that the suspect had no previous criminal record and appeared to be a routine traveller. This operation marks DRI’s largest cocaine seizure at Bengaluru airport this year. In March, 3.186 kg of cocaine was seized from a Ghanaian national. Over the past three months, DRI has also confiscated over 15 kg of crystal meth in separate incidents, highlighting a disturbing rise in narcotic trafficking in the region.