Nigerian man travelled with cocaine in stomach, hoodwinked countries
Capsules worth over Rs 6 crore were being smuggled.
Bengaluru: In a major operation the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru has blown off the lid of illegal international drug trade and overseas travel of couriers on fake passports and visas issued on fake documents.
On February 8 the NCB arrested Emmanuel (39) at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) for allegedly smuggling cocaine worth over
Rs 6 crore. He had not only travelled for 48 hours from Brazil to Bengaluru via Abu Dhabi with 1.2 kgs of cocaine, worth over Rs 6 crore, concealed in his gastrointestinal tract; he had also managed to hoodwink multiple immigration agencies and the Indian embassy in Namibia, which had issued him a tourist visa on his fake Namibian identity.
Emmanuel, who was arrested soon after he disembarked from an Etihad Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Abu Dhabi on February 8 is reportedly a Nigerian and his real name is said to be Raymond. He had sought temporary asylum in South Africa and the asylum permit had expired in 2014.
Soon after his arrest Emmanuel was rushed to Victoria Hospital after he complained of uneasiness and the doctors managed to remove 69 capsules filled with cocaine from his stomach.
“He was carrying one cocaine-filled capsule on his person at the time of arrest and he admitted that he had swallowed 69 capsules to avoid detection. He could have died if one of the capsules had exploded in his stomach,” said an official source.
Besides being booked under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985, Emmanuel is now being interrogated by the Intelligence Bureau, which looks after the immigration at the KIA. “We need to find out how he managed to get a visa from the Indian embassy in Namibia and how he travelled across countries on a fake passport,” added the officer.
Emmanuel, who was remanded to police custody by the special court in the City, was discharged from Victoria Hospital on Thursday. “He will now be interrogated by the NCB and IB,” said the officer.