A 24-year-old Nigerian national was arrested for possession of 700 gm high-quality Mephedrone (MD) valued at ₹84 lakh near Juhu on Friday night by the Bandra unit of Anti Narcotic Cell officials. The accused, identified as Annie Chimezie Benjamin, has been arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act.
In a constant crackdown on drug peddlers in the city, Mumbai Police had asked all its personnel to amplify the night patrolling and root out the drug peddlers. During a similar patrolling on Friday night, a police team from the ANC Bandra unit saw a man moving suspiciously near St. Joseph Academy in the Juhu area of suburban Mumbai on the footpath. On the basis of suspicion, police intercepted the man.
Upon interception, the man identified as Annie Chimezie Benjamin was frisked and police found 700 grams of high-quality Mephedrone (MD) in his possession, which is valued at ₹84 lakh in the international market, said police inspector Sanjay Chavan. Benjamin, a Nigerian national and a resident of Kharghar in Navi Mumbai was subsequently arrested on Friday night and booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act.
During a preliminary probe, it was revealed that Benjamin is a history-sheeter and was earlier booked by Mumbra Police in 2019 for possession of banned drugs. Police are now ascertaining the list of customers Benjamin supplied to and get links to other drug peddlers in the city. He will be produced before an NDPS court on Saturday.
