‘Slim, healthy' drug mules flying in on student visas: Cops
Vasai: "Slim and healthy" foreign nationals, especially from African countries Nigeria, Cameroon and Guinea, are being sent to India on student and tourist visas as drug mules, a police investigation has found.
Only healthy ones make the cut because they have to swallow up to 35 capsules of cocaine in one go, said a source from Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police's (MBVV) crime branch.
The source said the drug mules are put on 20-hour flights and forbidden from eating or drinking anything to prevent chances of the cocaine capsules rupturing in the body. After landing and successfully clearing customs, they rent a lodge and purge the capsules, from which the cocaine is retrieved and distributed through multiple ways, including being concealed in shoes and other objects and sent via courier services, said the source.
"We have come across evidence that drug mules are being sent to India on student and tourist visas," said Madan Ballal, ACP, crime branch, MBVV police.
The crime branch unearthed the drug traffickers' modus operandi after its unit-1 seized cocaine worth Rs 22 crore from a Mira Road resident's house in April. The interrogation of the suspect, Sabina Shaik (42), led police to a Nigerian national, Andy Ubabudike Onyinse (45), also from Mira Road, who was caught with around 2kg of cocaine.
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He revealed the involvement of a Cameroon national, Christabel Enjei (32), staying in Vasai, who was caught with around 400gm of cocaine.
The Vasai raid led police to a fourth suspect Bangeoura Kingsley, who was already in the custody of Achole police station in Nalasopara in another case. Kingsley revealed the drug traffickers' modus operandi. Police are ascertaining how many drug mules were so far recruited in this manner.
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