SA teacher held with Rs 7cr drugs at airport

March 26, 2013

SA_teacher

Mumbai, Mar 26: The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officials arrested a South African schoolteacher at Mumbai airport for attempting to smuggle out 7kg of drugs concealed in school bags on Monday morning. The consignment is worth Rs 7 crore.

Around 5.30am, Blantinah Makoti (35) entered the Mumbai airport to board an Ethiopian Airline flight for Mozambique. The AIU officials had got a tip-off about the woman. When Makoti was about to check-in, the officials intercepted her, and sent her bags for a check.

AIU officers said that a search revealed that she had stuffed methamphetamine in the tops of the 14 empty school bags in her baggage. "All school bags had hard tops. The cardboard filling from the top was removed to stuff the drug," said an AIU officer. Each bag had 500gm drug. Makoti was arrested immediately.

In her statement to the AIU, Makoti said that she is a South African schoolteacher, and has three children.

Makoti reportedly told the officers that a friend had given her the baggage in Delhi. "She had landed in Mumbai in the first week of March and travelled to Delhi. She has given the name of the person who gave her the bag and we are trying to track him," said an officer. "She said that she was supposed to hand over the bag to a person in South Africa, whose identity she doesn't know."

AIU officers said drug smugglers are now using well-settled professionals, especially women, as drug carriers. Methamphetamine is a party drug used to induce euphoria for a longer time. The drug is smuggled both in and out of India.

"Methamphetamine can be sold for a margin in South Africa and hence, the demand is high," said another AIU officer.444444444444444444

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Agencies
August 9,2020

Vijayawada, Aug 9: The number of those killed in the fire at a hotel being used as a COVID-19 facility in Vijayawada rose to 10 on Sunday, said Vikrant Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government announced Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia each to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

According to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also ordered an in-depth probe into the accident and directed authorities to take steps to ensure better medical services to the victims of the accident.

"The hotel was taken on lease and run by Ramesh Hospitals, a private hospital where COVID-19 patients were being treated. 40 patients and 10 medical staff were at the hotel at the time of the incident. 

Officials were directed to launch immediate rescue measures," said Mekathoti Sucharitha, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the loss of the lives in the fire mishap and spoke to Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy over the phone and enquired about the accident.

The mishap took place in hotel Swarna Palace which was taken on lease and run by a private hospital for COVID patients.

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News Network
June 22,2020

Kochi, Jun 22: A 54-day-old baby suffered brain damage after she was allegedly slapped and thrown on a cot at home by his father in Angamaly municipality of Ernakulam district, police said.

Doctor Sojan Ipe of MOSC Medical College Hospital at Kolenchery said that the damage caused to the brain is serious. The child was admitted with bleeding in the brain on Friday.

On Saturday, 40-year-old pastor Shaiju Thomas, who is the child's father was arrested by the Angamaly police in connection with the incident. He is currently lodged at the Covid first-line treatment centre at Angamaly.

Shaiju has been charged with IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder) and under the Juvenile Justice Act.

According to Angamaly Police, ''the accused was always doubtful of his wife and raised questions over the parenthood of the child. He had slapped the child on multiple occasions. She fell unconscious on Thursday night after a similar attack and was taken to the hospital. We have so far received enough evidence against the accused.''

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News Network
June 25,2020

Jun 25: A 16-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide at her house in east Delhi and her family members secretly buried her body, which was later exhumed for post-mortem, police said on Wednesday.

The girl, whose family hails from Jharkhand, allegedly hanged herself in a room in her house on Monday, they said.

No suicide note was recovered from the spot, police said.

Her body was exhumed on Tuesday as per the directions of the Sub Divisional Magistrate of the area. The process was carried out as her family members secretly buried her without informing the police.

The post-mortem will be conducted after Covid-19 tests, police said.

The incident took place on Monday. The reason behind her taking the extreme step is yet to be ascertained, they said.

Police said the girl lived with her mother and two siblings. The family hails from Jharkhand and are financially extremely weak. Her father died two years ago, they said.

After the father’s death, the girl's mother along with her siblings took her body to a burial ground and buried her, police said.

The police said the matter came to their notice after a neighbour alerted them about it. Following the information the body was exhumed, they said.

On questioning the girl's mother, she told police that she didn't know that one has to inform police in a suicide case, a senior police officer said.

Inquest proceedings have been initiated, police said.

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