Navi Mumbai: 49-year-old man held with mephedrone worth Rs 50 lakh

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Police have arrested a 49-year-old man and seized mephedrone, a banned drug, worth Rs 50 lakh from his possession in Navi Mumbai township, an official told news agency PTI on Wednesday.

Acting on a tip-off, the Navi Mumbai police's Anti-Narcotics Cell laid a trap near the man's house in Taloja area on Tuesday evening and caught him.

The police seized 500 gms of mephedrone powder, a synthetic stimulant, from his possession, the official from Taloja police station told PTI.

The man was booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the official told PTI.

The police were trying to find out from where the accused sourced the contraband and to whom he planned to sell it, the police told PTI.

Meanwhile, seven Nigerian nationals have been arrested and drugs worth Rs 19.05 crore seized from them after a major crackdown against drug peddlers in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai township, a senior police official told PTI on Sunday.

The contraband seizure and arrests were made following raids on September 1 in residential localities in Kharghar area, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe told PTI.

The police had received a tip-off that some Nigerians had stocked drugs and were selling them, he said.

The seized drugs included cocaine, MDMA and tablets of tramadol hydrochloride, a psychotropic substance, the official told PTI.

The seven arrested persons were booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the official told PTI.

The police were trying to find out from where the accused got the drugs and to whom they were selling them, the official told PTI.

Earlier, the Navi Mumbai police carried out a massive operation against drug peddlers and seized drugs worth Rs 4.96 crore, an officer told PTI on September 2.

The drive involved raiding various places at six locations, including Vashi, Koparkhairane, Kharghar and Taloja on Friday, the official told PTI.

The officer said 74 foreign nationals were quizzed while five offences were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and the Passport Act.

"Police seized 898 gm cocaine, 267 gm MD, 36,640 strips of banned tramadol, a psychotropic substance, collectively worth Rs 4,96,26,000. During the raids, police found 11 persons with criminal background against whom various offences were registered previously," the official told PTI.

A total of nine persons were found living with invalid documents while a "leave India" notice was issued to 31 persons whose visas had expired.

Police seized vehicles, mobile phones and other electronic gadgets of the accused for forensic investigation.

(With inputs from PTI)