Ghanian woman arrested in Bengaluru Airport for carrying narcotics worth ₹38.8 crore from Qatar

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized narcotics worth ₹38.8 crore at Kempegowda International Airport. A Ghanaian woman arriving from Qatar was arrested with 3 kg of high-purity cocaine, reported the Times of India.

The authorities intervened on the basis of intelligence inputs. After a thorough investigation, they found the contraband hidden inside her luggage, the report said citing people aware of the development.

The woman was arrested immediately for further investigation. DRI is also investigating her background to find any connection to international drug cartels using transit hubs. The agency is probing if any other individuals were linked to her smuggling network.

Prior to this, DRI and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had recovered gold worth ₹80 crore, 11 luxury watches and cash of ₹1.37 crore in a joint operation against smugglers, according to a Finance Ministry release.

“The search represents a major blow to illicit activities and underscores DRI's commitment to combating economic offences and safeguarding the integrity and sovereignty of the nation. Further investigations are currently underway,” the Finance Ministry said.

Based on inputs from the Gujarat ATS, the authorities searched a residential flat in the Paldi area of Ahmedabad on March 17, 2025.

They recovered 87.92 kilograms of gold bars valued at around ₹80 crore, the majority of which had foreign markings. Apart from gold, authorities discovered 11 luxury watches, including a Patek Philippe watch studded with diamonds, a Jacob & Co timepiece, and a Franck Muller watch, and jewellery studded with diamonds and other precious/ semi-precious stones, which weighed around 19.66 kg. The valuation of the watches and jewellery was not immediately available.