Nigerian Arrested For Trafficking Over 350 Million Naira Drugs

Officials of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch Unit 4 arrested a Nigerian national for allegedly possessing commercial quantities of Mephedrone (MD) and cocaine, collectively worth Rs 5.36 crore, during the wee hours of Sunday in Wadala. The accused had allegedly come from Delhi to sell the drugs.

Acting on inputs that a Nigerian national was headed to Anik bus depot on Chembur-Sewree road in Wadala to sell the contraband, a team of crime branch officials laid a trap in the area, officials said. Around 2.50am, they spotted the man carrying a bag near the spot, they added.

The team caught him and checked his bag, which contained five “ladies’ purses”. The purses seemed newly bought, were big in size and of different colours; an additional layer of cloth was knitted inside the purses to hide the drugs, officials added. The officials found 4.96 kg of MD worth Rs 4.96 crore along with 198 grams of cocaine worth 39.60 lakh on him.

The accused has been identified as Anthony Akueche, 39. He was booked under the NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act and produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody till November 25.

“In all, drugs worth Rs 5.36 crore have been seized. The accused came to India on a business visa. He bought the drugs from Delhi. Further probe is on,” said Indrajit More, senior inspector of Unit 4.