Cocaine Or Chocolate? At Chennai Airport, Drugs In 'Ferrero Rocher' Wrapping

In a major operation at Chennai International Airport on Monday, the Narcotics Control Bureau seized 5.6 kilograms of cocaine - worth Rs 60 to Rs 70 crore - from two Indians arriving from Ethiopia.

Officials said the contraband was meant to have been delivered in Delhi.

Both passengers were arrested and, in subsequent follow-up action, a foreign national and a third Indian citizen suspected to be part of the network were detained for questioning.

Visuals of the seized drugs showed them covered in golden wrapping paper labelled 'Ferrero Rocher', imitating the world-famous chocolate brand in an attempt to avoid suspicion.

According to the NCB, preliminary investigations suggest the arrested individuals are part of a larger international syndicate linked to operations in Mumbai and Delhi.

Significantly, earlier this month a large seizure was reported from Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport, where officials found over 5.4 kilograms also stuffed into golden 'Ferrero Rocher' boxes.

Cocaine was found inside Ferrero Rocher wrapping.

The agency said the seizure was part of efforts to disrupt transnational drug cartels' India operations, as part of the government's 'nasha mukht Bharat', or 'drug-free India', campaign.

This op was carried out with support from the Air Intelligence Unit and Chennai Customs.

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NCB officials said other members of the syndicate are being tracked down.

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All of this comes a day after the NCB announced another bust in Chennai - a large-scale seizure of ganja, or cannabis - underscoring the city's growing role as a transit point in the drug trade.

Concerns Over Chennai Drug Menace

A rush of narcotics seizures at Chennai airport and across Tamil Nadu have set alarm bells ringing - that Chennai is turning into a hub for drug trafficking.

As campaigning for next year's Assembly election gathers pace, the opposition has jumped at the ruling DMK over addiction and drug use, particularly among students.

However, the DMK and Tamil Nadu Police have rejected strongly these allegations, claiming strict enforcement led to swift arrests and convictions. Officials also pointed to NCRB data - which they said does not rank Tamil Nadu among states with high drug consumption.

Citizens Urged To Report

Meanwhile, reiterating its appeal to the public at large, the NCB has called on citizens to share any information relating to drug trafficking via 1933, a toll-free number 1933.

The anti-drugs agency has assured potential callers their identity will be kept confidential.

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