The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two Ugandan nationals on Sunday at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport for allegedly smuggling 165 capsules containing 1.81 kilogrammes of heroin hidden inside their abdomen.
According to DRI officials, the two accused were detained at the airport on separate occasions on February 13 and February 15, after which their X-ray, body scan, and CT scan were performed at the civil hospital in Sola, Ahmedabad, which allegedly revealed the presence of foreign bodies in their stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum.
The accused were made to excrete the contraband capsules that were then sent for forensic tests, which confirmed the presence of heroin. The two accused were then arrested under sections of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, officials said.
“Specific intelligence was received that a few passengers from Uganda are arriving at the Ahmedabad airport carrying narcotic drugs with them. DRI officials apprehended one male passenger at the SVPI Airport on February 13… He arrived from Entebbe Airport in Uganda via Sharjah,” read a statement from the DRI.
Officials searched his baggage and found medicines that inhibit bowel movement, which made them suspect that drugs may be hidden inside his body, the statement said, adding, “The passenger was taken to court for permission of his X-ray and body scan. On getting the permission, a CT-Scan was done that showed small capsules scattered in his stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum.”
“On February 15, a woman passenger from Uganda was also apprehended at the SVPI airport. A CT scan revealed that she was also carrying capsules inside her body. Both the passengers were admitted to Civil Hospital where medical teams recovered total 165 capsules that had 1.811 kilograms of heroin,” the statement added.