Nagpur (Maharashtra), April 13 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted an inter-state drug trafficking racket and seized 853 grams of cocaine worth an estimated Rs 4.26 crore, officials said on Monday.

According to the DRI, the operation was carried out by its Nagpur Regional Unit of the Mumbai Zone (DRI, NaRU) based on specific intelligence inputs.

Acting on the tip-off, DRI officers intercepted a female Indian national travelling on Train No. 22692 Hazrat Nizamuddin – KSR Bengaluru Rajdhani Express when it passed through Nagpur Railway Station on April 12.

Officials said the woman was suspected of carrying narcotic substances concealed in her luggage. The officers boarded the train at Nagpur and requested the passenger to deboard for further examination. She subsequently got down at Ajni Railway Station, where a detailed search was conducted.

During the inspection, officers found two shampoo bottles in her luggage that appeared unusually heavy. Upon closer examination, the liquid contents were drained, leading to the recovery of 50 yellow-coloured sealed capsules hidden inside.

The capsules were found to contain a white powdery substance, which tested positive for cocaine using a field drug testing kit.

“The total recovery includes 50 capsules containing 853 grams of cocaine with an estimated illicit market value of approximately Rs 4.26 crore,” a DRI official said.

The contraband was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The accused was subsequently arrested under the same Act.

Officials added that the woman was produced before the Holiday Court in Nagpur on April 12, which remanded her to judicial custody.

The DRI further stated that investigations are underway to identify the wider network involved in the trafficking operation and ascertain the source and intended destination of the contraband.

Highlighting its recent crackdown on drug networks, the agency said it has been consistently carrying out intelligence-driven operations.

“In recent months, DRI Nagpur has dismantled a Mephedrone manufacturing unit in Karanja Ghadge in Wardha district, recovering 128 kg of the drug in December 2025. It also intercepted 522 kg of ganja at Bhagemari Toll Plaza in January 2026 and seized 729 kg of ganja in Bhilai in February 2026. Additionally, 4.9 kg of Mephedrone was recovered in Amravati in February 2026,” the official said.

These sustained actions, the agency noted, reflect a strict enforcement approach and its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics.

The DRI reiterated that such operations are part of its broader efforts to dismantle organised drug trafficking networks operating across state borders and to contribute to the Government of India’s vision of a “Nasha Mukt Bharat.”

–IANS

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