In a major anti-drug operation, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two persons, including a foreign national, on Saturday for possession of cocaine worth approximately ₹7 crore. The accused have been identified as Jezil Luvado Castellano, a South African national, and Arif Dawood Patel, a resident of Null Bazaar in Mumbai.
Both the accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Following their arrest, a court remanded them to 14 days of judicial custody.
According to officials, the action was part of a special drive launched by customs authorities to curb international drug trafficking. During the operation, Castellano arrived in Mumbai from Nairobi on Saturday night. Acting on suspicion, DRI officials intercepted him before he could exit the airport and took him in for questioning.
Upon searching his luggage, officials recovered 1,426 grams of cocaine along with other narcotic substances. The seized drugs are estimated to be worth around ₹7 crore in the international market.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Castellano, a resident of Johannesburg, South Africa, had received the consignment from an unidentified individual at Nairobi airport. He was instructed to deliver the drugs to Arif Patel in Mumbai.
Based on this information, officials apprehended Arif Patel from Null Bazaar. His involvement in the case was confirmed during the investigation, following which both accused were formally arrested.
The duo was produced before the court on Sunday afternoon, where the judge remanded them to judicial custody under the NDPS Act. Further investigation in the case is underway.