Namibian drug mule held in India was en route to South Africa

A Namibian national was arrested in India last week after allegedly arriving in Bengaluru with 20kg of ephedrine, Namibian publication New Era reports. The 50-year-old man, believed to be en route to South Africa, was apprehended by officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at the Kempegowda International Airport.

Some of the drugs seized by Sars.

Reports further suggest that the mule, who arrived from New Delhi, had attempted to conceal the drugs by layering them in packets packed between carbon paper. Ephedrine, commonly known in Southern Africa as "tik", is a highly addictive substance allegedly sold at rave parties in India.


The arrest marks the latest in a string of drug busts, the most notable of which was a 2014 cocaine bust recorded as being the largest ever in Nepal. According to the Namibian Sun newspaper, a 40-year-old Namibian man was arrested in Nepal in February 2014 for possession of 2.67kg of cocaine hidden in his luggage and stomach.

Approximately 45 plastic-coated capsules containing the substance were alleged to have been discovered in the man's luggage, while 112 capsules were found in his digestive tract following a five day wait by health workers.