Brazilian man caught with ₹2.38-cr capsules of cocaine in his stomach

The foreigner had come to India on a tourist visa. He was used by the drug smuggling racket as a carrier. AUI OFFICER

MUMBAI: A 23-year-old Brazilian man was arrested by Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for allegedly smuggling cocaine worth nearly ₹2.38 crore in his stomach.

On February 26, the foreigner was remanded in judicial custody four days after his arrest.

Luiz Fernando Da Silva, 23, was detained at the CSMIA on February 18 when he had landed in Mumbai on an Ethiopian airline. Based on a suspicion, he was sent to Sir JJ Hospital for a medical examination.

Scans revealed that Da Silva had swallowed plastic capsules filled with cocaine. He came to India from Addis Ababa and was promised a commission for smuggling the drug into the city.

“At the hospital, he ejected 80 capsules stuffed with 790 grams of high-quality cocaine worth nearly ₹2.38 crore. On his discharge he was placed under arrest on February 21,” said an AIU officer.

During the interrogation, Da Silva admitted to smuggling the cocaine on the directions of a Nigerian national living in Sao Paulo in Brazil, against a commission of BRL 1,000 (Brazilian Real), an AIU source said.

After four days in custody, on

Wednesday the AIU again produced him in court and he was remanded in judicial custody.

“The foreigner had come to India on a tourist visa. He comes from a poor economic background and was used by the drug smuggling racket as a carrier. We are trying to identify the person who was to receive the drugs in Mumbai,” said the AIU officer.

The accused has been booked under relevant sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for smuggling a commercial quantity of cocaine.