A Brazilian national was arrested at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Thursday with cocaine worth Rs 11.1 crore concealed in their body, marking another blow to international drug smuggling networks.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), acting on precise intelligence, intercepted the passenger upon arrival from São Paulo, officials said. The suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed, confessed during questioning to ingesting capsules filled with the narcotic to sneak it into India.

Following the admission, authorities secured court approval and rushed the individual to JJ Hospital, where medical staff extracted 106 capsules containing approximately 1,096 grams of cocaine under supervision.

The haul, valued at Rs 11.1 crore in the illicit market, was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The DRI has since launched a deeper probe to unravel the smuggling syndicate behind the operation, suspecting links to a broader network trafficking drugs into India.

This arrest follows a string of similar busts at Mumbai’s airport, a key entry point for narcotics. Earlier this month, another Brazilian was detained with cocaine worth Rs 10.96 crore, also hidden in swallowed capsules.

The DRI’s intensified vigilance underscores India’s growing role as a transit hub for South American drug cartels. With the suspect in custody, authorities are racing to trace handlers and dismantle the supply chain, as the fight against smuggling tightens at one of Asia’s busiest airports.