Mumbai Crime: Two Nigerians held in Mazgaon with drugs worth Rs 80K

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Despite repeated crackdowns, the area around Wadi Bunder in Mazgaon continues to be a hub for drug peddlers. On Friday, a team from the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) in Azad Maidan managed to arrest two foreign nationals, who were caught selling drugs in the area.

The arrested accused have been identified as Nigerian nationals Keneth Okoba, 38, and Aken Apita Ofozor, 37, who reside in Koparkhairane in Navi Mumbai. The police have seized 20 grams of MD worth Rs 80,000 from them.

In the past, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the Government Railway Police (GRP) and local police stations of Byculla, Dongri and JJ Marg have conducted combing operations to clean the area of drug peddlers. "But, even after repeated crackdowns, the peddlers keep coming back to the area. Whenever we get a tip-off, we lay a trap and arrest them," said an officer.

The aggression of the police increased after a few Nigerian drug peddlers attacked one ANC API Amar Marathe and his team in July last year. In that scuffle, Marathe and another API Sudarshan Chauhan suffered injuries.

When contacted, Shivdeep Lande, deputy commissioner of police, ANC, said, "We have registered a case under sections 8 (c) read with 22 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985. We are still investigating the case."

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