The officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have come across a unique modus-operandi following the interrogation of Mohammad Ayaz Yakub Shaikh, who was arrested by the agency officials on Friday with mephedrone (MD) totalling Rs 1 crore. The agency officials claimed that Shaikh used to meet his clients in autorickshaws in the suburbs and would use these vehicles as the meeting and delivery points of drugs. The officials have also identified the Nigerian kingpin who is suspected to be running an MD kitchen factory.
According to Zonal Director of Mumbai NCB, Sameer Wankhede, on the basis of information received from a reliable source on Friday, a team of NCB officials had effected a seizure of 205 grams of MD at the national highway, Chinchoti Phata in Vasai (E). In a follow-up action of the same operation, the NCB team had effected a further seizure of 300 grams of MD at Nalasopara (E) on Saturday.
"The contraband seized was found in physical possession of one Mohammad Ajaz Yakub Shaikh, a resident of Imambara at JJ Road in South Mumbai. Shaikh had purchased the seized 505 grams of mephedrone from a Nigerian national and was going to supply it to his customer in Mumbai. Shaikh was produced before a court that remanded him to NCB custody till October 20. So far our probe has revealed that a Nigerian drug cartel is involved in this case. The said cartel is being run by one Nigerian who we have identified as Tony. The seized MD was not normal and was in an ice form which makes us suspect that the said MD was being made in a kitchen factory run by Tony. Tony himself does not expose himself to others and gets drugs delivered to suppliers through his men," said Wankhede.
Another NCB official said, "Shaikh was a smart operative. He would often change his hideouts and would stay in hotels to avoid being caught by the police or NCB. He would take delivery of drugs from Nallasopara. He had his list of clientele and would meet his clients in autorickshaws in Powai, Bandra and Chandivali areas where he would deliver the drug to his clients. He chose autorickshaws as delivery points as he believed that nobody would suspect that a drug deal would take place in an autorickshaw."
