Thane crime: Nigerian national held with Rs 1.65 lakh drugs in Mumbra

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Police have arrested a 34-year-old Nigerian national for alleged drug trafficking after seizing mephedrone valued at Rs 1.65 lakh from his possession in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Thursday, reported new agency PTI.

Acting on a tip-off from an informer, the police set up a trap near a hospital in Mumbra area and apprehended the accused when he arrived there on a motorcycle on September 8, senior police inspector Anil Shinde said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI.

The police seized 55 gm of mephedrone from his possession, he said, adding the accused was booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The accused, identified as Ifuni Genika Mike, was a resident of Kharghar area of neighbouring Navi Mumbai township, reported PTI.

He has a history of drug-related offenses, with multiple cases filed against him under the NDPS Act in Mumbai, the official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI.

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

So far this year, the Mumbra police's NDPS unit has taken action against 425 individuals involved in drug consumption and made 21 arrests, seizing narcotics of Rs 1.39 crore, the official said.

Mumbai Customs, DRI destroy seized drugs worth around Rs 177 crore

Officials of the Mumbai Customs and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) destroyed 24.73 kg of seized drugs worth approximately Rs 177 crore in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, an official said, reported PTI.

A high-level drug destruction committee of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC), comprising senior officials from the Mumbai Customs Zone-I and DRI, destroyed heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and other narcotic substances by incineration at Taloja, the official said, reported PTI.

As per an official release, this is the first such drug destruction carried out in this fiscal, reported PTI.

In the last financial year, Mumbai Customs Zone-I destroyed 215.27 kg of drugs valued at Rs 1,525 crore, seized by the postal appraisal section (PAS), special investigation and intelligence branch (SIIB) of Customs and DRI.

(With inputs from PTI)