2.7 kg cocaine seized from Venezuelan national in Kochi

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Saturday recovered 2.7 kg of cocaine from a Venezuelan national who arrived in Kochi, a senior official here said.

"Based on specific information, a team of Narcotics Control Bureau, Chennai Zone, intercepted Victor David Romero Infante, a Venezuelan national, at Cochin lnternational Airport and seized 2.7 kilograms of cocaine from his possession," a release from NCB Zonal Director A Bruno said.

The man was travelling from Sao Paulo in Brazil to Kochi via Doha by a private carrier.

Infante had arrived India on a tourist visa and was planning to leave the country after delivering the consignment, it said.

The seized drug was concealed in the false bottom of Infante's briefcase, carried as check-in luggage and it "is of very pure form and was sourced direcly from the cocaine production belt in south America," it added.

Infante was 'believed' to be working under the behest of the south American cocaine cartel, the release said, adding an investigation was on to find out Infante's links in Kochi.

According to the release, coca leaf is the raw material for the manufacture of the drug cocaine, "a powerful stimulant and anaesthetic extracted chemically and abused for its psychoactive effects.