NCB arrests African national linked to seizure of drugs worth ₹2 crore in Oct

NCB Mumbai arrests African national linked to international drug trafficking syndicate, seized MDMA worth ₹2 crore; investigating accomplices in major cities.

Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)’s Mumbai Zonal Unit on Wednesday busted an international trafficking syndicate and arrested an African national who has alleged financial links to a consignment of banned psychotropic substance, including MDMA and ecstasy tablets, worth around ₹2 crore.

The Gurugram Police have busted an IPL betting racket which was being run from a house at Surya Vihar in Sector-9 and arrested four men. (Representational Image)

The arrested accused, identified as B Afo, has been staying in Navi Mumbai since 2018 even after his Indian visa expired, agency sources said. A total of 4,970 MDMA/ecstasy tablets, also known by its street name of ‘molly’, weighing 2.17 kilograms were seized by the NCB last October after it was transported to Mumbai in a parcel via concealment, sources said.

“The financial trail and technical investigation led to the accused, who was linked to the contraband that was seized in October last year. Multiple domestic and international bank details were identified that linked the accused to the seized MDMA,” an NCB source said.

On October 19 last year, the parcel was seized at Mumbai Foreign Post Office. When the parcel was opened, it was crammed with toys, crayons and pens but a closer examination led to the recovery of multi-coloured MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) tablets that were concealed between the layers of flap of the packaging cardboard.

“Since the quantity of the drugs was huge and was having international linkage, an extensive investigation was initiated. The syndicate had carefully maintained the technical evasive manoeuvre to avoid any identification but in the course of an in-depth investigation, credible technical analysis led to the identification of a financial trail,” NCB’s Additional Director Amit Ghawate, Indian Revenue Service, Mumbai, said.

The information was further developed that led to the identification of the African national based in Navi Mumbai who was subsequently intercepted at his house, Ghawate said. The agency is analysing purported incriminating evidence, along with multiple bank details of international and domestic banks, which have been collected to zero in on the accused’s accomplices of the larger syndicate. According to agency sources, the seized contraband was meant to be distributed to cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Goa and Hyderabad.