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75 Nigerian nationals detained in Navi Mumbai with drugs worth ₹2 crore
Navi Mumbai police raided six locations, detaining 75 Nigerian nationals selling drugs illegally. The police seized contraband worth ₹2 crore.
Navi Mumbai: The anti-narcotics cell of Navi Mumbai police raided six locations on Friday evening and detained 75 Nigerian nationals staying illegally and selling drugs. The police seized contraband worth ₹2 crore.
The raids were conducted at two buildings in Juhu gaon in Vashi, one building in Bonkode at Koparkhairane, one building each at sector 27 and sector 35 in Kharghar and in Taloja.
“The well-synchronised operation took place at six different spots and was ordered by Navi Mumbai police commissioner Milind Bharambe,” said police inspector Niraj Chaudhary from the anti-narcotics cell.
More than 600 police staff were part of the raids and more staff were kept reserved to be called for in case of any emergency.
“We are verifying the documents of the Nigerian nationals to verify who all were staying illegally. FIR would be lodged after all the verification. The raid was conducted by the anti-narcotics department and the local police,” Deputy Commissioner of police (Crime Branch) Amit Kale said.
In the month of July when Navi Mumbai police had caught four Nigerians with 523 gram methaqualone drug worth ₹52.30 lakh, there was a scuffle between the police and Nigerians due to which this time, during the raid, police decided to be ready with a huge team, fire brigade and an ambulance.
“We had a fire brigade team as well as an ambulance with us to tackle whatever would be the reaction of the Nigerians to the raid,” a police officer who was a part of the team, said. The operation was conducted simultaneously so that none of them were able to pass on the message to others in the same or different nodes.
Till now, around 700 grams of cocaine, more than 300 grams of MD, and 300 Kgs of Tramadol Hydrochloride have been seized. From sector 35 in Kharghar, police seized 19,600 straps of Tramadol Hydrochloride which has been a banned drug since 2018 and is an antidepressant. “Tramadol Hydrochloride itself is anticipated to be around ₹2 crore,” Chaudhary added. Around 300 grams of cocaine worth ₹45 lakh, and 170 gram of MD worth ₹17 lakh was seized from sector 27 in Kharghar. Meanwhile, 450 grams of cocaine worth ₹67.50 lakh was seized from Koparkhairane and 120 grams worth ₹18 lakh from Juhu gaon.
