VINOD BHAT
CHENNAI, Sept 2: In a major breakthrough against international drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 5.618 kilograms of high-grade cocaine worth ₹60 crore at Chennai International Airport on September 1, 2025. The operation, conducted jointly by NCB Chennai and the Air Intelligence Unit of Chennai Customs, marks a significant stride in the government’s mission of Nasha Mukt Bharat (Drug-Free India).
Two Indian nationals, one from Bageshwar, Uttarakhand (25-year-old BA graduate), and another from Chamba, Himachal Pradesh (26-year-old ITI pass), were arrested while carrying the contraband in their baggage. They had arrived in Chennai on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Officials revealed that the duo had made several trips from Addis Ababa to various Indian airports over the past few years, smuggling cocaine into the country. The seized cocaine, which sells in one-gram sachets costing between ₹8,000 to ₹12,000 depending on adulteration, is part of a wider network of drug trafficking.
Link to Larger Drug Syndicate
Preliminary investigations indicate the arrested men were working for a transnational syndicate that routes cocaine from Ethiopia to India. The drugs were to be further distributed across the country through a network managed by a Nigerian national based in Delhi.
Acting swiftly, the NCB detained the Nigerian, who had entered India on a medical visa in 2023 for treatment at Gleneagles HealthCity in Chennai but continued to overstay after his visa expired in 2024. Investigators also arrested another Indian member of the syndicate, a 26-year-old graduate from Chamba district, in Mumbai.
The probe has further uncovered the role of an Indian-origin handler based in Addis Ababa, who allegedly arranges cocaine consignments and manages profit distribution among syndicate members. Efforts are on to trace and apprehend the remaining members and establish the complete financial trail.
Crackdown on Foreign Drug Traffickers
Highlighting the involvement of several foreign nationals, particularly from African countries, in narcotics smuggling, the NCB has compiled a list of overstaying foreigners in India and shared it with state authorities for action under the Foreigners Act.
Officials stressed that the seizure underscores the agency’s determination to dismantle transnational drug cartels and uphold Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a drug-free India.
The NCB also appealed to the public for cooperation in this mission. Citizens can confidentially report drug trafficking information on the toll-free number 1933 (MANAS helpline), with assurances that informers’ identities will remain protected.
