Nigerian arrested with cocaine worth Rs 7 crore sent to Tihar

New Delhi: A Nigerian woman arrested at the IGI Airport here while allegedly trying to smuggle out 1.36kg cocaine, worth about Rs 7 crore, in cosmetic bottles has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Additional Sessions Judge Suresh Chand Rajan sent Margret Afolake Adetola, 38, to Tihar jail till December 10 on Custom Department officials` plea to remand her in judicial custody as the probe into the case is in progress.

"In view of the submissions and averments made in the application, judicial custody of the accused (Margret) is extended till December 10," the judge said. Margret, arrested on November 25, was produced before the court after her two-day judicial custody had expired. She had arrived here from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, the officials had told the court. Acting on intelligence input, customs officials had intercepted Margret and searched her baggage. She was found carrying 13 plastic bottles of face wash which were found to be very hard, leading to suspicion about their contents, the officials had said. "The plastic bottles were cut open. Thirteen polythene packets containing a white powdery substance were found concealed within," the custom officials had said adding the powder, weighing 1,360 gm, was found to be cocaine, valued at Rs 7 crore in international market. An FIR has been lodged against her under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. PTI