Mumbai Crime: South African woman held at airport had been smuggling drugs for 4 years

Drugs seized. Pic/NCB

The woman drug trafficker arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Thursday from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai had been smuggling drugs for the past four years.

South African woman identified as Khanyisile Promise Khalishwayo was arrested by the NCB and 2.96-kg of heroin worth Rs 9 crore was recovered from her possession.

Khanyisile was travelling from Johannesburg to Mumbai via Doha by Qatar Airways. She was carrying a grey-colour trolley bag and while searching that bag, two packets of heroin were found in a cavity, while another packet of heroin was concealed in the bag itself.

Khanyisile, a resident of South Africa, has two children aged 7 years and 4 years. According to the anti-drug agency, she had been smuggling drugs for the past four years. As Khanyisile is a single parent, the drug mafia took advantage of her financial condition.

She was to be given 18,000 South African Rand to deliver the heroin. The NCB team seized 10,000 South African Rand from her.

The recovered heroin is Afghan heroin, which is found in border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. This Afghan heroin is sent to Africa via Iran and then delivered in India.

Khanyisile was arrested under Section 8 (c) and 21 (c) of the NDPS Act.

An NCB official told Mid-day, "The drug dealer had told Khanyisile to stay at a hotel in the west suburb and also said that she will be informed later about the plan ahead."

Sameer Wankhede, Zonal Director of NCB, told Mid-day, "Khanyisile had brought heroin from South Africa which we have caught at the airport."