27 April,2024 12:36 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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Police on Saturday arrested 11 Nigerian nationals in Navi Mumbai for allegedly running a drug racket, and seized from them cocaine and other narcotic substances worth Rs 1.61 crore, an official said, reported news agency PTI.
The arrest was made following a raid conducted on Friday, he said.
"Acting on a tip-off that some Nigerian nationals residing at Koprigaon in Navi Mumbai's Vashi were operating a drug racket, a team of the police's Anti Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) conducted a raid at a flat between 3 pm and 7 pm on Friday, and seized drugs from there," the police official said, reported PTI.
Eleven Nigerian nationals in Navi Mumbai in the age group of 30 to 50 were nabbed during the operation and were formally placed under arrest in the wee hours of Saturday, the police official said, reported PTI.
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"The seized drugs comprised mostly cocaine. The stock also included mephedrone and MDMA. The collective value of the drugs is Rs 1,61,00,000," he added, reported PTI.
Mobile phones and other equipment worth around Rs 25 lakh was also seized from the accused, he said, reported PTI.
A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered at the APMC police station in Vashi, the official said, adding that investigation was underway.
In another case, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday arrested an African-origin man from Navi Mumbai in a 2023 drug seizure case, an official said, reported PTI.
The accused had come to India in 2018 and was staying in the country even after his visa expired, the official said.
The exact nationality of the accused was not disclosed.
The NCB Mumbai unit had busted an international drug syndicate in October 2023 by seizing 4,970 MDMA pills, sourced from the Netherlands, reported PTI.
During the investigation, the accused's role came to light and he was put under surveillance before his arrest on Wednesday from his residence, the official said.
Details of multiple international and domestic bank accounts were collected from him and further probe was on.
(With inputs from PTI)
