Metro cities serve as prime destinations for narcotics; NCB taking action: MHA

New Delhi, Oct 15: Metro cities in India serve as prime destinations for contraband and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in synchronised operations in Mumbai and other parts of the country, has made various seizures and arrests which have ramifications on the narcotics supply chain, the Home Ministry said on Thursday.

The NCB is conducting massive operations against drug traffickers and regular raids on their possible hideouts after identifying their modus operandi and whereabouts, a Home Ministry statement said. Giving details, the ministry said that on the basis of specific information, a team of NCB seized one kg of cocaine and 2 kg of PCP (phencyclidine) from one M Ahmed from Vasai, Palghar in Maharashtra on October 12.

During interrogation, Ahmed said that the contraband was provided by one SK Saurabh for further selling. On the basis of manual intelligence and technical surveillance, the NCB team apprehended Saurabh on October 13 from Vasai, Palghar. His sustained interrogation resulted in further recovery of 29.3 kg of MDA from his shop and godown on October 14.

Saurabh also said that the drugs belong to A Khanivadekar and R Khanivadekar, the statement said. A Khanivadekar was been apprehended and during interrogation, he said that his brother R. Khanivadekar is an accused in a DRI case involving 483 kg of ephidrine and is currently out on bail. Before the DRI raid, they had shifted the contrabands to the shop and godown of Saurabh and he had taken out the above recovered contraband from that lot while shifting.

In another operation, the NCB Jammu zonal unit had affected a seizure of about 56.4 kg of charas concealed in 55 packets at Ban Toll Plaza, Nagrota, Jammu on September 15 and apprehended M Gupta, A Gambir and Sonia, all residents of Delhi. The statement said that Rs 1,91,000 and a XUV 500 SUV, which was used to conceal and traffic the contraband, was also seized by the NCB.

The charas was destined for Mumbai and in a combined operation, the prime suspect of 56 kg charas case, Faruk Chandbadhsah Shaikh of Mumbai, was apprehended along with his associate Kurban Ali. In the third operation, the NCB apprehended Pradeep Rajaram Sahni with 70 gm of mephedrone in Andheri West in Mumbai. Pradeep had disclosed that he used to supply mephedrone to various people in the Andheri and Juhu Area. He was employed as a peon with Balaji Telefilms Pvt. Ltd through a third party. The distribution network of Sahni is being investigated, the statement said.