200-kg marijuana seizure case: NCB files 1,100-page charge sheet
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has filed a 1,100-page charge sheet in connection with the case where 200 kgs of curated marijuana was seized from British national Karan Sejnani’s residence in Khar in January this year
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has filed a 1,100-page charge sheet in connection with the case where 200 kgs of curated marijuana was seized from British national Karan Sejnani’s residence in Khar in January this year.
The agency has named four other accused in the charge sheet including Sameer Khan, son in-law of cabinet minister Nawab Malik; Ramkumar Tiwari, one of the owners of Muchhad Paanwala; Rahila Furniturewala and Shaista Furniturewala. The charge sheet contains statements of more than 20 witnesses in the case.
NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede said, “The charge sheet has been filed naming accused Sameer Khan, Ramkumar Tiwari, Rahila Furniturewala and her sister Shaista. 86 kgs of around 200 kg marijuana seized from Sejnani’s residence in Khar tested positive for narcotic drugs and psychedelic substance from a forensic laboratory in Gujarat.”
In the first week of January, NCB got specific information and seized 340 grams of marijuana in three parcels from Universal Courier and Cargo at Bandra (West). In the follow up operation, officers got a lead about Sejnani and a raid was conducted at his residence in Jaswant Heights in Khar (West) on January 9. During the raid, the agency seized approximately 200 kilograms of imported strains of marijuana like OG Kush and curated marijuana. The agency then learnt about the Furniturewala sisters, following which officers raided their residence in Bandra and recovered contraband from there.
The agency said the some of the contraband was sourced from the USA and some from local sources. The contraband was packed in the form of pre-rolled joints by Sejnani and was marketed to high-class clients in Mumbai and other states as well. Rahila Furniturewala provided financial and other aids to the smuggling activity, said an NCB officer.
Sejnani, in his statement to the agency, alleged that he had supplied 500 grams of marijuana to city’s famous paan vendor Muchhad Paanwala. The agency then conducted searches at Tiwari’s shop and warehouse in Kemps Corner in south Mumbai and recovered curated marijuana. Tiwari was subsequently arrested in the case.
During further probe, the agency found Sejnani’s connection with Khan and he was summoned for inquiry on January 13. After questioning for almost 10 hours, NCB arrested Khan in the case for allegedly purchasing the contraband from Sejnani.
