India: Ghanaian man busted with 87 capsules of cocaine at airport
The Mumbai Customs at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in India seized 1,300 grams of cocaine concealed in 87 capsules swallowed by a Ghanaian national upon his arrival in the country on August 28. The drug is valued at over $1.6million in the illicit market.
The accused, Raymond Anane Kyeremateng, 57, was detained by officials attached to the Customs Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) based on profiling and suspicion.
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Suspecting that he had some narcotics contraband in his body, the Customs officials took the court’s permission for his medical examination and took him to the Sir JJ hospital the same day.
His x-ray examination report confirmed the presence of foreign substances in his stomach, following which he was admitted to Sir JJ hospital.
Officers of Mumbai Airport Customs seized 1300 grams cocaine valued at Rs 13 Cr & arrested one pax from Ghana who was intercepted on 28.08.2022. He was admitted to the hospital where 87 capsules containing the cocaine which he had ingested were ejected over 3 days. @cbic_india pic.twitter.com/7UdV5ve81n
— Mumbai Customs-III (@mumbaicus3) September 3, 2022
“During his stay at the hospital, 87 oval-shaped capsules were removed from his body. From the 87 capsules, 1,302 grams of cocaine was recovered,” said a Customs official.
Customs officials then took the accused into custody and placed him under arrest on Friday morning after booking him in a drug smuggling case under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
During interrogation, he revealed to the Customs officials that in the past he had similarly smuggled drugs in India thrice.
Under the schedule to the NDPS Act, 100 grams of Cocaine is considered a commercial quantity and the accused foreigner will now be prosecuted for smuggling commercial quantities of the contraband material, said the Customs official.