Navi Mumbai: Five arrested with drugs worth Rs 63,200

Image used for representational purpose. Pic/iStock

The Navi Mumbai police have seized drugs worth Rs 63,200 in two raids and arrested five persons, including a woman, in this connection, officials said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.

Acting on a tip-off, the police on Friday raided a place near a chawl in Kopri village of Navi Mumbai and arrested four men after seizing 21.14 gm of brown sugar from their possession, the police said in a release.

Those arrested have been identified as Tahir Mohammad Ali (25), Mohammad Juned Poskar Khan (22), Rafique Aziz Sheikh (21) and Nilesh Bhoir (32), the release said.

The police also conducted another raid in the same village on Friday and arrested a woman, Kavita Rathod (30), and seized 1,060 gm of ganja from her possession, it said.

The total value of the seized drugs is Rs 63,200, the police said.

Offences have been registered against the accused under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, they said.

The police were trying to find out from where the accused sourced the drugs and to whom they planned to sell them.

Earlier on August 3, a Nigerian and a Kalyan resident were arrested for alleged involvement in drug peddling, a Navi Mumbai police official said on Thursday, according to the PTI. Acting on a tip off, the two were held on Wednesday evening, the Panvel Town police station official said. "They have been identified as Agu Pascal alias Kalyechi Onyema (24), who is originally from Nigeria, and Shahbaz Elukar (29) from Daighar in Kalyan. We have seized 27 grams of methaqualone worth Rs 2.70 lakh from them," he said, reported the PTI.

A Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act case has been registered and a probe to unravel the peddling network is underway, he said.

Meanwhile, The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai police on Wednesday apprehended a Nigerian and two Tanzanian nationals involved in drug trafficking. The arrests were made as part of the ANC's ongoing efforts to combat drug smuggling in the city.

The first arrest involved the Nigerian, Chimezie Chika Edward Amaraegbu, 45, who resided in Nalasopara. He was caught with a substantial amount of drugs - 200 grams of methamphetamine and 100 grams of mephedrone (MD) with an estimated street value of Rs 60 lakh.

Investigations also revealed that Amaraegbu was living in India without valid documents, and he was also booked under violation of the Foreigners Act 1946. According to the police, he had originally entered India on a medical visa back in 2012 and was supplying drugs to peddlers in the city while also running a garments business.

The Tanzanians, Abdalla Kombo and Bruno Ahmed Ali, were in possession of 60 grams of cocaine when they were arrested at a hotel on Samuel Street in Dongri.

"The ANC's relentless efforts to track down drug trafficking syndicates in the city led to the successful capture of these suspects," said Prakash Jadhav, DCP, ANC.
Throughout 2023, the ANC has been unwavering in its determination to combat drug trafficking, leading to an impressive total of 132 arrests, including those of 15 foreign nationals. The crackdown on drug-related activities has also resulted in the seizure of drugs worth Rs 28.11 crore.

(With inputs from PTI)