Man externed from Mumbai in 2017 held with ₹20L-worth drugs

A 28-year-old man, who claimed to be a driver with an app-based cab service, was arrested on Tuesday by police officers of the anti-extortion cell (AEC) in Palghar for drug trafficking. Police seized 450g of mephedrone (popularly known as meow-meow or MD) worth nearly ₹20 lakh from his vehicle and arrested his associate.

A 28-year-old man, who claimed to be a driver with an app-based cab service, was arrested on Tuesday by police officers of the anti-extortion cell (AEC) in Palghar for drug trafficking. Police seized 450g of mephedrone (popularly known as meow-meow or MD) worth nearly ₹20 lakh from his vehicle and arrested his associate.

The accused, Umar Usman Khan, and his associate Wasim Abdul Sattar Shaikh alias Macho, 37, live in Mahim (HT Photo)

The accused, Umar Usman Khan, and his associate Wasim Abdul Sattar Shaikh alias Macho, 37, live in Mahim.

A crime branch officer said Khan has 11 other cases of drug trafficking and chain snatching registered against him. “He was externed from the city limits in 2017,” the officer said, adding he told them he worked for Ola.

Ola, however, said Khan was not employed with their company.

“We would like to confirm the person in question is not registered on the Ola platform as a driver. While our records show that he applied to register with us as a driver, the application was rejected on grounds of lack of proper verification,” the company said in a statement.

Police officers received a tipoff about Khan routinely making trips to Kandivli to sell drugs. But when they laid a trap, Khan had changed his plans at the last minute to meet a customer in Palghar.

On Tuesday night, the crime branch intercepted Khan’s vehicle and handed him and his associate over to the Kasa police station. Police booked the duo under relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.