NCB crackdown intensifies: Mumbai emerges as major destination, 29 kg party drugs seized

In its crackdown on various contrabands in metro cities, the Narcotics Control Bureau has carried out synchronised operations in Mumbai and elsewhere and has made various seizures and arrests which are having ramifications on the narcotics supply chain. 

The NCB said it has been conducting regular raids on the possible hideouts of drug traffickers, after identifying their modus operandi and whereabouts. In all, eight persons have been arrested in four different operations and Mumbai’s Vasai, Andheri, and Juhu area are found to be major destinations for drugs.

Operation in Vasai

On the basis of specific intel, a team of NCB had seized 1 kg of cocaine and 2 kg of P.C.P. (Phencyclidine) from one M Ahmed from Vasai, Palghar on October 12. During interrogation, Ahmed revealed that the contrabands have been provided by one SK Saurabh for further selling.

The NCB team developed intelligence and on the basis of manual intelligence and technical surveillance, apprehended S.K Saurabh the next day from Vasai. The sustained interrogation of the accused resulted in the further recovery of 29.300 Kg of MDA from his shop/godown on October 14. Saurabh further revealed that the drugs belong to A Khanivadekar and R Khanivadekar.

Khanivadekar has been apprehended and during interrogation, he revealed that his brother is accused in a DRI case of 483 Kgs of Ephedrine and is on bail. Before the DRI raid, they had shifted the contrabands to the shop/godown of S.K Saurabh and he had taken out the above-recovered contraband from that lot while shifting.

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Operation in Jammu

On Thursday, the anti-drug agency's Jammu Zonal Unit seized about 56.4 kg of Charas concealed in 55 packets at Ban Toll Plaza in Nagrota and arrested three persons, all residents of Delhi. A sum of Rs 1.91 lakh and an XUV 500 SUV, which was used to conceal and traffic the contraband was also seized by NCB.

The Charas was destined for Mumbai. In a combined operation between Ops Unit and Jammu Zonal Unit, the prime suspect in the case, Faruk Chandbadhsah Shaikh, was apprehended from Mumbai-Pune Highway, along with one of his associate Kurban Ali. During further interrogation, they revealed that they were also involved in one case of Mumbai, in which 6 Kg Charas was seized from their other associates.

Operation in Andheri

In another operation, NCB apprehended one Pradeep Rajaram Sahni with 70 Gms of Mephedrone from Mumbai's Andheri West. Pradeep had disclosed that he used to supply Mephedrone to various persons in the wealthy Andheri and Juhu area. He was employed as a peon/runner with a film production company through a third party. The further distribution network of the accused is being investigated.

Moreover, the agency nabbed a Nigerian national namely Uka Emeka 'Godwin' and recovered four grams of cocaine. The seized drug originated from a South American country and the drug trafficker is suspected to be delivering the contraband in the areas of Pali Hill, Bandra, Andheri, Juhu, and Khar. Further investigations of the forward linkages are underway.

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