Nigerian Woman Arrested with N6m Worth of Drugs at Indian Railway Station

Indian authorities have arrested a Nigerian woman, Etumudon Doris, for allegedly smuggling illegal drugs worth over ₦6 million at Panvel Railway Station near Mumbai.

The arrest was made during a coordinated operation by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Panvel, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Bengaluru, and the Crime Intelligence Branch (CIB) in Kurla, Mumbai, following a tip-off from the NCB.

According to Indian officials, the intelligence alert pointed to a possible drug smuggling attempt on the Hazrat Nizamuddin–Ernakulam Mangala Express, which was scheduled to stop at Panvel on Friday, July 19, 2025.

Acting swiftly, a surveillance team was deployed at platform 7. Upon the train’s arrival, the team identified Doris, who was traveling with an infant she claimed was her child. After questioning her, officials said she admitted to carrying narcotics.

She was taken to the RPF post, where a search of her multicoloured travel bag led to the discovery of two black rectangular packages marked “VINTAGE.” Laboratory testing confirmed the packages contained 2.002 kg of cocaine. An additional 1.488 kg of methamphetamine was also seized from her luggage.

Murari Lal, a Junior Intelligence Officer with the NCB Bengaluru, took custody of the seized drugs. Authorities say Doris has been booked under relevant drug trafficking laws, and further investigations are ongoing.

The seizure marks another significant breakthrough in India’s efforts to combat international narcotics trafficking.