|
Chennai: A Filipina and an Indian were remanded to judicial custody yesterday after being found with illegal drugs worth Rs50 million (Dh4.8 million) at the Chennai airport where they were about to board flights to Malaysia, customs officials said.
This is the second major drug haul at Chennai airport in two months.
In all, 10kg of Ketamine tablets and 2kg of heroin were seized from from Rachael Dageagwiong, 39, of the Philippines and Azhagu Raja, 40, of Mannargudi in Tamil Nadu a little before midnight on Monday during a joint operation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and customs officials at the Anna International airport.
The suspects were about to board different flights bound for Kuala Lumpur when they were apprehended. The drugs found on them have an international open market price of Rs50 million, customs officials said.
Returning home
The Filipina is said to have claimed she was returning home after working in the Middle East for two years, police sources said.
DRI sources said they were acting on specific information. Both the passengers had concealed the contraband in small food containers.
"If the duo had been allowed to travel and had the DRI tipped off the authorities in Malaysia, the accused would have been in greater trouble since drug smugglers are awarded the death penalty in that country," a police source at the airport said.
|
