New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) A 64-year-old Peruvian national has been arrested here and 1.3 kg of cocaine worth Rs.6.5 crore in the international market has been seized from his possession, police said on Wednesday.
Armando Lopes Reyes was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday, when he arrived from Sao Paulo in Brazil via Dubai in an Emirates flight.
Police said the drug was concealed in the cavities of the trolley bag wrapped in four layers of plastic and silver foil to avoid X-ray detection.
Reyes told police that the bags had been given to him by one Juan in Sao Paulo to handover the consignment of cocaine to one Ali in Delhi.
“The accused was given $1,000 by Juan and another $500 was promised on his return to Sao Paulo,” said a police officer.
Earlier, Delhi Police mistakenly valued the seized cocaine at Rs.65 crore. However, joint commissioner of police (crime) Ravindra Yadav clarified that the value of the drug in the international market was Rs.6.5 crore.
“The value of cocaine seized in the international market is Rs.6.5 crore and not Rs.65 crore,” Ravindra Yadav told mediapersons.
With the arrest Delhi Police claimed to have busted an international drug trafficking module indulging in supply of cocaine into Delhi from Brazil.
“The consignment is one of the biggest seizures of ‘Pure Cocaine’ in the history of Delhi Police. The highly lucrative route of Sao Paulo-Delhi has been identified which was being used by the drug traffickers,” Yadav said.
Police said Reyes has travelled to India thrice in May, July and October in 2014.
“His interrogation is being done to unearth the whole racket of drugs syndicate being operated from south America and also having its tentacles in Africa, Asia, Europe and north America,” said Yadav.
He also added that a hunt was on to nab the receiver of the consignment.