Navi Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotic Cell of Navi Mumbai police arrested a 36-year-old African national for alleged possession of Methaqualone (MD) drugs worth Rs 10,00,000 in the Ulwe node of Navi Mumbai on Wednesday evening. The accused did not have a valid visa and passport to stay in the country.
The accused was identified as Ocante Da Silva Jorge, a resident of Balaji Amrit Society, sector 3 in Ulwe and a native of Guinea, a country in West Africa.
Plastic pouch recovered
The Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) of Navi Mumbai police received information that Jorge, an African national, was involved in the drug trade. A team of ANC along with the NRI Coastal police carried out a raid at his house in Ulwe on Wednesday evening. When the police reached Balaji Amrit Society in Ulwe, they noticed an African national was suspiciously walking out of the building. The police followed him for around 50 meters and caught him.
When the police tried to frisk him, he resisted. The police followed the procedure and informed him of the reason for the frisking. Later he allowed and when he was frisked, the police found a plastic pouch containing the white colour substance. The substance when checked by an expert found Methaqualone (MD) drugs. It was 100 grams when it was weighted.
Later during interrogation, the police came to know that the accused did not have a valid Visa and Passport to stay in the country. A case was registered against Jorge at NRI Coastal police under sections 22 (B) and 8 (c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and relevant sections of the Foreign National Act Passport Act.
Methaqualone
Methaqualone is banned in India and its manufacture, possession and transportation is an offence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. In 2022, the Navi Mumbai police had seized a total of 4.229 kg of Methaqualone from five cases. However, during the whole year, under the NDPS Act, Navi Mumbai police seized 111.33 kg of different banned drugs worth Rs 365.52 crores from 149 cases.
