MP: 25-year-old African woman in India on student visa held with Rs 15 lakh cocaine

Indore, Nov 19 (PTI) The Narcotics wing of the Madhya Pradesh police arrested a 25-year-old African woman, who came to India on a student visa, in Indore for allegedly carrying cocaine valued at nearly Rs 15 lakh, an official said on Wednesday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Maheshchand Jain said the accused, identified as Linda, was arrested on Tuesday in the city’s Residency area following inputs from an informant.

He said the woman had come to Indore by bus from Mumbai.

The police recovered over 30 grams of cocaine, estimated to be worth about Rs 15 lakh in the illegal narcotics market, said the senior official.

Jain said the woman is a citizen of the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast) and was living in the Nalasopara area, on the outskirts of Mumbai, after arriving in India on a student visa earlier this year.

He said, “Linda came to Indore from Mumbai to supply a consignment of cocaine to a person. We suspect she has visited Indore before for drug trafficking. She is being questioned.” The official said an FIR has been registered against her under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and a detailed investigation is underway. PTI HWP MAS NR