Mumbai, May 22 (IANS) The Mumbai Police Crime Branch’s Anti-Narcotics Cell on Friday arrested a suspected drug supplier near Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and seized 3.886 kilograms of charas from his possession.

According to officials, the seized narcotics are valued at approximately Rs 3.89 crore in the international market. A case has been registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and he has been taken into custody for further investigation.

Officials of the Mumbai Crime Branch said efforts are underway to ascertain the origin of the drugs, including where the contraband was procured from and where it was intended to be supplied.

Meanwhile, the Narcotics Control Bureau on Thursday announced the conviction of five accused in a major synthetic drug trafficking case in Mumbai. The agency also attached assets worth more than Rs 6.5 crore linked to the illegal narcotics trade.

According to the NCB, the case involved trafficking of mephedrone, methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals, along with large-scale laundering of drug money and possession of illegal firearms.

Three accused — Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan, Mohammed Salman Khan, and Vikrant Jain — were sentenced to five years in prison each and fined Rs 50,000. Another accused, Haris Faizullah Khan, was awarded one year of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000.

The case dates back to January 20, 2021, when NCB officials in Mumbai apprehended Parvez Khan from Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai. During the operation, officers recovered 52.2 grams of mephedrone, an unlicensed pistol with five live rounds, cash suspected to be proceeds of drug trafficking, and gold ornaments allegedly purchased using illicit earnings.

Earlier this month, on May 1, the NCB busted a transnational drug trafficking syndicate in one of the largest cocaine seizures in India. The agency seized 349 kilograms of high-grade cocaine valued at nearly Rs 1,745 crore during coordinated raids across the Mumbai region.

–IANS

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