New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS): A Malawian national has been held for smuggling narcotic substance 'Methaqualone' worth approximately Rs 8.25 crore at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here, the CISF said on Tuesday.

The CISF, which provides internal security at the IGI, nabbed the female passenger with the drug on Monday around 8.50 p.m. after thorough checking of her luggage at terminal 3 of the airport.

The drug was recovered from two bulky bags carried by the passenger, identified as Mervis Steven Chiponde, in which 33 lady hand purses were found. The cavity layers of each of these purses were filled with "white powdery substance weighing about 500 gms.

"The total weight of substance detected from 33 purses was about 16.5 kg. The suspected white powdery substance was tested with drug detection kit and found positive results for 'Methaqualone' drug," said the CISF.

Methaqualone is a sedative hypnotic drug with pharmacological effects.

Chiponde was to travel in a Mumbai-bound Air India flight at 10 p.m. and further to catch a Nairobi-bound flight, the CISF said, adding the passenger and the seized norcotic substance has been handed over to the Customs department.