In an ongoing crackdown against drug networks in the city, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police raided the Khar area and arrested a 39-year-old Nigerian national for allegedly possessing cocaine and MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets worth Rs 2.21 crore, news agency IANS reported, quoting officers.
Mumbai Police on Sunday said they are continuously tightening their noose around drug suppliers, peddlers, and those linked to such networks.
The arrest comes days after two persons died due to suspected drug overdose at a live concert held at the NESCO Exhibition Centre in Goregaon East on April 11.
According to the police, a team from the ANC’s Worli unit was on patrol on Saturday. Around 11.15 pm, when the team reached the area behind the ‘C-Sand’ building on Shirley Rajan Road in Khar West, they spotted a man of African origin standing with a side bag.
On seeing the police vehicle, the man allegedly tried to flee. The team immediately intercepted him and began questioning.
The accused identified himself as Ije Ezekiel Njoku, a Nigerian national residing in Nalasopara. During preliminary interrogation, he admitted that the bag contained cocaine and MDMA tablets which he had come to sell to customers.
Mumbai Police seize 113 grams of cocaine, 45 MDMA tablets from accused
A search of the bag led to the recovery of a white powdery substance. An on-the-spot field test confirmed it to be cocaine. The substance weighed 113 grams and has been valued at approximately Rs 2.14 crore as per international market rates.
Additionally, 45 yellow-coloured MDMA tablets weighing 24 grams were recovered from the bag. These tablets have been valued at Rs 7.20 lakh.
The police said the recovered MDMA tablets were rectangular in shape, with “Audi RS” inscribed on one side and the four-ring Audi logo on the other. Investigators suspect the drugs were being supplied to the high-profile party circuit and youth in the city.
Following the NESCO drugs party case, Mumbai Police have intensified surveillance across hotels, clubs, party hubs and the western suburbs.
A Nigerian passport, a valid Indian visa and two mobile phones were recovered from the accused. Police are now scrutinising mobile data, call records, chat logs and digital payment transactions to trace his clients and suppliers.
The ongoing series of raids now serves to reinforce this message: that party drugs, cocaine, and foreign-linked drug networks will not be tolerated in Mumbai under any circumstances, officers said.
Police believe the arrested person is only one link in the larger supply chain. Action is expected against other foreign nationals, local peddlers, and party organisers connected to this network in the coming days.
(With IANS inputs)
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