In a major crackdown against drug trafficking, the Central Railway’s Railway Protection Force (RPF) jointly carried out an operation with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Crime Intelligence Branch (CIB) Mumbai, and seized narcotics worth Rs 36 crore onboard the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Mangala Express at Panvel, Navi Mummbi, on Thursday. The authorities also arrested a foreign national who was in the possession of the contraband.

Based on information received by NCB Bangalore regarding narcotics smuggling on the train, a joint team was formed comprising RPF (Panvel) personnel Anjani Babar and Prahlad Singh, NCB officers Murari Lal and Madhusudhan Vishwakarma, CIB officers Satish Kumar Yadav and Naveen Singh, along with Prahlad Patil, Jyoti Kushwah and Dhirendra Yadav.

The officials conducted a search operation of the train upon its arrival at Platform No 7 of Panvel Railway Station. During the search, they questioned a Nigerian woman, identified as Etumudon Doris, over the possession of narcotics, and she allegedly confessed to the crime. Doris, who was accompanied by an infant, was brought to RPF Post Panvel, and her belongings were thoroughly searched. Inside a multicolour travel bag, officials reportedly discovered two rectangular black packages wrapped in rubber material. Upon testing using a drug detection kit, the contents tested positive for cocaine.