A major narcotics haul was uncovered during a late-night raid on the Amritsar–Mumbai Golden Temple Mail, leading to the arrest of a Mizoram-based man and the exposure of what investigators believe could be a multi-city, possibly international drug syndicate. Acting on specific intelligence, a joint team of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) intercepted a passenger travelling in coach B-4, recovering drugs worth over ₹2.19 crore.
The accused, identified as 32-year-old Lalfakmavia, was travelling with a backpack and a trolley bag that initially appeared routine. A detailed search revealed 436 grams of cocaine valued at approximately ₹2.18 crore, along with 19 grams of Yaba pills and methamphetamine worth about ₹1.50 lakh. Officials also seized five bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 649 grams and 8 grams of Alprazolam tablets. The scale and diversity of the contraband elevated the interception into a major narcotics case.
During interrogation, Lalfakmavia confessed that he had been approached by a Nigerian woman, described as a friend of his sister, while living in Delhi. According to investigators, the woman handed him a packet disguised as dog food packaging and offered ₹3,000 along with travel expenses to deliver it to Mumbai, where an unidentified recipient was expected to collect the consignment.
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The arrest is closely linked to another significant seizure made a day earlier in Surat. On January 24, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a Nigerian woman travelling on the same train from Faridabad to Mumbai and recovered 50 grams of cocaine worth ₹50 lakh and 900 grams of methamphetamine valued at approximately ₹2.30 crore. Authorities believe the common route, concealment method and substances indicate a coordinated trafficking operation.
The NCB has registered cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and expanded the investigation to identify handlers, receivers and financial networks behind the racket. After being produced before a special magistrate in Borivali, the accused was taken to Bengaluru on transit remand for further questioning, as agencies probe the possible international links and the use of long-distance trains as drug trafficking corridors.
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