Three arrested with MD worth ₹4 crore, cash and gold

The agency got information that a person from the Thane area was procuring mephedrone and was supplying it to peddlers from the city and adjoining areas. Based on the information intelligence module was activated and after verifying certain facts IGN Ansari, a Bhiwandi resident was identified as the alleged drug supplier

MUMBAI: Three persons were arrested on Sunday from Bhiwandi after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted an interstate drug smuggling racket and seized 2 kilograms of mephedrone (A stimulant drug) worth over ₹4 crore from them.

Three arrested with MD worth ₹4 crore, cash and gold

The agency officials said that apart from the contraband material, they have also seized ₹36 lakh in cash and gold ornaments worth ₹8 lakh from the trio.

The main supplier is a resident of Bhiwandi and has been involved in drug smuggling for the past five or six years, said an NCB officer.

The agency got information that a person from the Thane area was procuring mephedrone and was supplying it to peddlers from the city and adjoining areas. Based on the information intelligence module was activated and after verifying certain facts IGN Ansari, a Bhiwandi resident was identified as the alleged drug supplier.

The agency also got information that Ansari was planning to supply drugs consignment into the city through a Mumbai resident who was going to receive the consignment going to Bhiwandi to collect the consignment.

The NCB official immediately set up a trap and the receivers PS Veer and Rohan K, both were identified. The NCB arrested both persons red-handed while accepting the consignment. During the search, agency officials recovered 2 kilograms of mephedrone from their possession. The accused also revealed the name of Ansari, as the person who supplied the drugs. Accordingly, an NCB team visited Ansari’s home in Bhiwandi and arrested him, said an NCB official.

During the search conducted at Ansari’s place, NCB sleuths found a huge amount of cash – ₹36 lakh and 147 grams of gold ornaments valued at ₹7.8 lakh and while questioning Ansari confessed that it was accumulated as drug sales proceeds.

Ansari was supplying drugs for the past five/six years, and it was learnt that Ansari was aware of the working pattern of law enforcement agencies due to which he was successful in evading the law. Initially, he started off as a petty street peddler but later became the main supplier in the area. Further investigation is in progress, said zonal director Amit Ghawate of the NCB.