INDIA. Mumbai: Two Nigerian drug peddlers were arrested along with Mephedrone (MD) worth Rs 2.80 crore from Mankhurd in Northeast Mumbai by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) Bandra Unit on Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off, the police reached a power station on the Mumbai-Panvel highway and caught the accused. Their search led to the discovery of MD weighing more than 1 kg.
According to ANC Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade, the duo accused were identified as Michael Nwabu Chukwuma (34), and Ozokwesiri Onyeka Okechukwu (46). Both the accused resided in the Kharghar area of Navi Mumbai.
The first accused, Chukwuma, is a history-sheeter. He has a murder charge against him at the Tulinj Police Station in Nala Sopara, Palghar. Along with murder, he also has a charge of illegally staying in India even after the expiry of his visa.
The FIR (No 164/2022) has been registered under sections 8(k), 2 (k), and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 has been registered against both the accused, and they have been remanded to police custody till August 30.
The raid was conducted under the guidance of Joint CP (Crime) Suhas Varke and Addl CP Viresh Prabhu, by the acting Police Inspector Sanjay Chavan, API Suresh Bhoye, and API Srikant Karkar.
It is known to the police that the two are a part of a gang consisting of more such Nigerian nationals, conducting the business of buying and selling MD drugs in and outside Mumbai. The police are trying to find the linkage to more drug gang members.
Meanwhile, drugs worth nearly Rs one crore were seized, 38 offences were registered, and 52 people were arrested by the ANC and other units of Mumbai police in July.
The seizure included: Ganja-worth Rs 19.53 lakh, Charas-Rs 46,000, MD-Rs 47.72 lakh, Heroin-Rs 42,000, Cocaine-Rs 24 lakh and other drugs-Rs 85,000.
Drugs factory busted in Gujarat
Earlier on August 16, the Worli unit of the Mumbai ANC had busted a drug factory in the Bharuch district of Gujarat. This drug factory was caught in the Ankleshwar area of the Bharuch district. In this raid, SAIL recovered about 513 kg of MD drugs. The cost of these drugs was stated to be Rs 1,026 crore in the international market. Seven accused, including a woman, were also arrested in this case by the Mumbai ANC.
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