NCB arrests 5 including TV actor Preetika Chauhan in drugs case

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted another module of drug supply and arrested a total of five people including television actor Preetika Chauhan and a Tanzanian

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted another module of drug supply and arrested a total of five people including television actor Preetika Chauhan and a Tanzanian national on Saturday from Mumbai. Chauhan was arrested while buying drugs in Versova while the Tanzanian national was held with cocaine from south Mumbai. The three other arrested are drug peddlers from whom NCB has seized charas, MDMA and methamphetamine.

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All five arrested accused were produced in the court on Sunday and granted judicial custody till November 8.

Chauhan was involved only in consumption of drugs while others are interconnected with each other for distribution. Chauhan has worked in TV serials like Savdhaan India and Devo Ke Dev Mahadev.

Following a tip-off, NCB officers in plain clothes were deployed at three places — one in south Mumbai and two places in Versova — on Saturday. In the first trap, NCB officers nabbed Bruno John Ngwale from Mohammad Ali Road in Masjid Bunder area and seized 4 gram cocaine from him. After an inquiry, the second team of NCB laid a trap in Versova and arrested Rohit Hire and seized 4.4 gram ecstasy, 1.88 gram MDMA from him, said NCB officers.

After questioning Hire, another NCB team intercepted a vehicle and seized 325 gram marijuana, 32 gram charas, and 0.5 gram methamphetamine along with ₹12,990 cash, and arrested drug supplier Deepak Rathod, added the officer.

After questioning Rathod, NCB officers laid a trap near Machhimar in Versova and nabbed Faisal Shaikh with 99 gram marijuana. Chauhan was also nabbed from the spot while buying drugs from Shaikh. During inquiry, Shaikh revealed that he had sourced the contraband from Deepak Rathod, a resident of Versova.

NCB officials are probing every possible link of the accused in the case including suppliers, peddlers and consumers. Further inquiry is going on, said an NCB officer.

This comes in the wake of the ongoing drug investigation after Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. NCB registered a case against Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and others and arrested a total of 24 accused so far including Chakraborty and her brother Showik. Many Bollywood celebrities also came into NCB’s radar during the probe. Actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh and Sara Ali Khan were questioned in NCB office last month.