Not chocolates: ₹82 crore drug haul found in boxes labelled Ferrero Rocher at IGI airport

The narcotic substance was found in 8 Ferrero Rocher boxes during baggage screening of a passenger at IGI airport’s green channel.

In a major drug bust at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, customs officials seized over 5.4 kg of suspected cocaine worth approximately ₹82 crore.

Eight boxes labelled as Ferrero Rocher chocolates, suspected to contain cocaine, seized at IGI Airport.(X-@AirportGenCus)

The narcotic substance was concealed in boxes labelled as Ferrero Rocher chocolates. According to officials, the consignment was being carried by an Indian passenger who had arrived from Doha on August 6.

The arrest followed routine baggage scanning at Terminal 3, during which customs officers flagged a green handbag for further inspection.

Inside, they found eight golden-coloured boxes resembling the popular chocolate brand, but the boxes appeared unusually heavy. A closer examination revealed off-white powder instead of confections.

“The pax was diverted at Green Channel for the X-ray of his personal and baggage search by the customs officers on duty. Subsequently, on examination of the green-coloured hand-carry bag carried by pax, eight (08) golden-coloured boxes of Ferrero Rocher chocolate containing white-coloured narcotics substance suspected to be cocaine, totally weighing 5,469.5 grams (net weight), were found,” Delhi Customs (Airport & General) said in a statement on X.

“When this material was subjected to diagnostic test, prima facie it appeared to be cocaine. The value of said substance is ₹82.04 crore (approx),” it added.

The passenger was taken into custody under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and was later remanded to judicial custody.

“Accordingly, the pax has been placed under arrest under Section 43(B) of the NDPS Act, 1985, at about 1930 hrs on 6.8.2025. The white-coloured substance suspected to be cocaine has been seized, along with the concealing material and packaging, under Section 43(A) of the NDPS Act, 1985. Further investigation in the matter is under process,” the statement added.