A canine member of the integrated sniffer dog squad of the Narcotics division of the Mumbai Customs Department was responsible for yet another drug haul at the Mumbai International airport yesterday. The dog successfully tracked and intercepted a young Ugandan lady in possession of 5.5 kg worth of heroin, worth Rs 1.5 crore.u00a0u00a0


Doggone! The drug cache was discoveredu00a0when a Ugandan national
was stopped by a patrolling dog, minutes before she boarded an Ethiopian
Airways flight

Dana Mosuaga (25), had managed to evade detection through the preliminary security check and luggage check-in, and was ready to board an Ethiopian Airways flight, when the dog, which was patrolling the premises, stopped near her luggage and started barking fiercely. The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) team, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Customs Sameer Wankhede, reached the spot and re-examined her baggage, where the cache was found concealed in almost 80 pouches.

"We examined the bag, and found many small pouches tucked away. They were neatly stitched up. When we tore them open, we found about 5.5 kg of heroin," said an AIU official on condition of anonymity.

On the basis of their preliminary findings, AIU officials have revealed that Mosuaga is an active member of a drug mafia operating from India.

"She collected the parcel from Delhi and reached Mumbai on Monday evening, so she could board the flight on Tuesday morning. She claimed innocence when we interrogated her, but we have learnt that she is deeply involved in this trade," he added.

Mosuaga has been detained, and is presently under the custody of the AIU for interrogation. She is likely to be produced at the Esplanade court in the afternoon today.

Nose for crime
MiD DAY had reported earlier ('No dope sneaks past this sniffer squad', November 30) how Sonu, Dolly, Anju and Goldy, the hawk-eyed watchdogs with the hypersensitive hooters, had helped officials arrest drug smugglers at the airport. Together, they have brought about seizures worth Rs 100 crore.