The Navi Mumbai Police have seized drugs worth over Rs 21 lakh, including mephedrone and MDMA, and arrested a Nigerian national in connection with the case, officials said on Wednesday.
Suspicious Movement During Night Patrol
The seizure followed a routine police patrol carried out on December 15 along Palm Beach Road. A team noticed a foreign national standing suspiciously near a parked scooter late at night. When the police approached him for questioning, the man abandoned the vehicle and fled the spot, raising further suspicion.
Upon checking the scooter, the police recovered 70 grams of mephedrone powder, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 17 lakh. In addition, 120 MDMA tablets were also found during the initial search, an official release stated.
Arrest Made from the Koparkhairane Residence
Following the recovery, police launched a search operation to trace the suspect. He was later arrested from his residence in Koparkhairane. During a subsequent search of the premises, police recovered additional quantities of drugs, including mephedrone powder worth around Rs 4 lakh and 40 purple MDMA tablets.
While the combined value of the seized mephedrone powder has been estimated at over Rs 21 lakh, the police did not specify the market value of the MDMA tablets recovered during the operation.
Case Registered Under NDPS Act
The accused has been identified as Aniehe Kingsley Chinedu, also known as Aney Kingsley Chinedu. He is a Nigerian national and has been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Police officials said further investigations are underway to determine the source of the drugs and to identify possible links to a larger drug supply network operating in the region. Authorities are also examining whether the accused was involved in drug distribution across Navi Mumbai and neighbouring areas.
The Navi Mumbai Police said such operations would continue as part of ongoing efforts to curb drug trafficking and ensure public safety.
With PTI Inputs
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