Image showing cocaine. For representational purposes.
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Bengaluru: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a 29-year-old woman from Nigeria for smuggling cocaine from Mumbai to Bengaluru by travelling on a private bus.
A total of 121 grams of cocaine, estimated to be worth Rs 1.20 crore, and one mobile phone used for coordinating the drug trade were seized from her possession.
The suspect has been identified as Olajide Esther.
A senior police officer said that based on credible information, a special CCB team kept surveillance on her movements and intercepted her when she arrived in the city from Mumbai. During a search, police found cocaine concealed in a bread loaf, allegedly to avoid suspicion while transporting the contraband.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Esther had cut open the bread from the inside and stuffed cocaine packets inside before sealing it back carefully. She allegedly used this method to evade detection during travel.
Police said the suspect was actively involved in drug peddling and was supplying cocaine to customers in Bengaluru. She allegedly procured the drugs from Mumbai and transported them via private buses.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further investigation is under way to trace her network and identify other links in the drug supply chain.