The special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court rejected the bail plea of an alleged drug peddler Abdul Kadar Shaikh, an accused in the cruise ship drug case. Shaikh, 30, who worked as a senior executive with a logistics firm, was arrested at a bus stop opposite a mall in Juhu on October 3, 2021, a day after the raid on the cruise.
Shaikh's claims
Shaikh was arrested for possession of 2.5 grams Ecstasy pills and 54.3 grams Mephedrone (MD). He was arrested based on the statement of Mohak Jaswal, who was arrested along with Aryan Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant and others.
Shaikh had claimed that he has been falsely implicated in the case. And also that the punch witnesses present at the time of his arrest had acted as punch in several other cases also.
Prosecution's stand on Shaikh's plea
The prosecution had objected his plea and said, "the Applicant was involved in the illicit trafficking of Psychotropic Substances and purchased MDMA (Pills) from Chinedu Igwe and supplied MDMA (Ecstasy) pills to Mohak Jaswal who further supplied it to Nupur Satija and Gomit Chopra. The Respondent further states that it establishes a nexus between the Applicant and other co-accused."
The prosecution had further claimed that Shaikh was part of a nexus involved in the illicit trafficking of drugs. The Forensic extraction report of Shaikh's device revealed that phone number of Mohak Jaswal was found in his contact list.
'Johnson' in Shaikh's contact list
Prosecution added that, the number of a person named 'Johnson' was also found in his contact list. The prosecution claimed that Nigerian national Igwe had mentioned about Johnson in his statement as one of the supplier.
According to the Prosecution, Shaikh had in his voluntary statement stated that Johnson and Igwe are drug dealers dealing in Cocaine & Ecstasy pills; supplying drugs in several areas of Malad, Andheri & Goregoen and region. This meant that Abdul Kadar Shaikh is very much in touch with Nigerian nationals involved in illicit trafficking of drugs including Cocaine and Ecstasy in Mumbai.
