Maharashtra Crime: Virar Crime Branch Arrests 36-Year-Old Nigerian National With ₹11.5 Lakh Worth Mephedrone

Palghar, Maharashtra: In a significant drug bust, the Crime Branch Unit 3 of Virar arrested a Nigerian national in the early hours of Friday for possession of Mephedrone, a banned narcotic substance, valued at over ₹11 lakh.

According to police sources, Sub-Inspector Suhas Kamble and his team were on a routine night patrol in the Nalasopara East area when they spotted a man behaving suspiciously near Capital Mall around 1:00 am.

The man, later identified as Desmond Chidalu Animbo (36), a resident of Mahesh Apartment in Evershine City, Vasai East, was questioned by the patrol team but reportedly gave evasive and inconsistent answers about his presence at the location.

Following orders from senior officials, the police conducted a personal search of Animbo in the presence of two independent witnesses. During the search, officers recovered 46 grams of a light brown powder, later confirmed to be Mephedrone (MD), with an estimated street value of ₹11,50,000. The narcotics were seized on the spot, and Animbo was taken into custody.

A case has been registered at Achole Police Station invoking sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The accused has been handed over to the police for further legal proceedings.

Police continue to investigate the source of the drugs and any possible links to a larger network.