Four in Mumbai arrested with drugs worth ₹60 lakh

In two separate operations, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and anti-narcotics cell (ANC) arrested four persons on Sunday and allegedly seized 3kg of charas and 2.613kg tramadol tablets, worth ₹60 lakh.

The Mumbai zonal unit of NCB seized 4,824 tablets weighing 2.613kg (a commercial quantity) of tramadol tablets at a professional courier at Damji Shamji Industrial Estate in Kamani area, Kurla (West).

The consignment was sent by Mohammad Anas who was traced to Delhi and arrested on Monday morning. During the investigation, NCB found that Anas had four previous cases registered against by the bureau, said Sameer Wankhede, zonal director, NCB.

Tramadol is a psychotropic drug that is medically prescribed as a painkiller. It is a scheduled ‘H’ drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and can only be dispensed under the prescription of a registered medical practitioner.

Over the past few years, agencies have noticed that it has been abused as an intoxicating drug, due to which it was added to the schedule of psychotropic substances under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, in 2018.

In the second operation, the Bandra unit of the ANC on Sunday evening arrested three drug suppliers from Kurar in Malad and allegedly seized 3kg of charas from their possession. The arrested accused were identified as Sonu Rampal Singh, 29, Amar alias Ramshiromani Yadav, 33, and Chandan Chaurasiya, 24. All three accused are residents of Appapada area in Malad (East).

An ANC officer said the gang was active for more than two years and supplied charas to small drug peddlers in north Mumbai. They were also in touch with high-profile customers in Malad and Kandivli, said Datta Nalawade, deputy commissioner of police (ANC).