26 March,2013 07:38 AM IST | | Akela
Identified as Palatino Macoty (35), the woman is a teacher by profession and had hidden the drugs, collectively valued at Rs 7 crore, in 14 school bags.
Macoty was reportedly travelling from Mumbai to South Africa by Ethiopian Airlines flight no ET-611. Based on a tip off to Sameer Wankhede, Deputy Commissioner of Customs, officials from the AIU questioned her regarding her whereabouts but she failed to give convincing replies.
Alerted by her evasiveness, officials checked her luggage to find 500 gm each of party drugs, Methamphetamine (Ketamine), in 14 bags.Following the search, Macoty confessed to being a drug carrier and claimed that it was the first time that she was travelling internationally in the capacity.
"Prima-facie it seems that the woman belongs to an international drugs dealing racket. She is not giving us any details regarding the racket and is non-cooperative," said an officer from AIU. Further investigations are on and the powder has been sent for forensic examination.
