NCB plans to start probe in other countries in Demetriades' case

Agisilaos Demetriades was dealing with a variety of drugs in the film industry, using the name of a leading Bollywood actor. Pic/Instagram

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will initiate investigation in the case of South African national Agisilaos Demetriades, in other countries, based on a forensic report which retrieved his deleted WhatsApp chats that confirmed he was part of an international drug cartel. It has been trafficking Colombian cocaine from South Africa, Australia and South Korea.

According to sources, in deleted chats retrieved by a Gujarat forensic team, NCB also found that Demetriades was dealing in a variety of drugs in the film industry, using the name of a leading Bollywood actor. The deleted chats also revealed apart from cocaine he supplied methamphetamine, mephedrine (MD), hashish, weed, alprazolam, etc.

The agency in the deleted chats also found that apart from taking cocaine from foreign counterparts, he supplied Indian drugs to them. "He was planning to start his own manufacturing, specially for MD, as he was getting good response from the international cartel and the demand was increasing day-by-day," an officer said.

Based on concrete digital evidence provided by the forensic team, NCB is planning to investigate Demetriades abroad. NCB has found he was staying in Khar with his girlfriend, and used his tourist visa for an import and export business, but was involved in drug trafficking.

"The Hon'ble Court, after looking into all the material produced by the NCB after 60 days of investigation, thought it fit to grant bail and this claim (of his involvement with an international drug cartel) was never brought (to court) and is denied," said advocate Kushal Mor, representing Demetriades.

Rampal summoned again

His sister, Gabriella Demetriades, girlfriend of actor Arjun Rampal, was also questioned by NCB after seizure of banned tablets from Rampal's residence. However, NCB has not found evidence that Gabriella is part of a drug syndicate. The agency recorded Rampal's statement and summoned him again on December 16. But the actor, through his lawyer, contacted the agency and sought exemption till December 22 citing personal reasons.

Demetriades was arrested by the NCB in October during a raid at a Lonavala resort where he was celebrating his birthday. The NCB had seized 0.8 grams of a sticky brown substance from him. He was later granted bail but the agency arrested him in another case linked to Nigerian drug peddler Omega Godwin. On December 15 the special NDPS court granted conditional bail to him. He was asked to surrender his passport to NCB and not leave the city without its permission.

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