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MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Office (NCB) seized 670g cocaine worth 4 million rupees through a controlled delivery operation from Delhi and arrested a suspected Mumbai trafficker. The contraband, originating from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was to be delivered to a Vasai resident. The shipment was sent in the form of rolls of thread.
The OCN had seized the contraband package at the Import Customs Inspection Area, Delhi. The package was declared a ‘sample of clothing material’, but upon examination, the hidden cocaine was found in them. NCB DG Rakesh Asthana later issued controlled delivery orders to unearth the union, NCB deputy director KPS Malhotra said.
With the controlled delivery mechanism, the NCB kept package delivery alive. After seizing the contrabad, they replaced it with a fake package. “The consignee’s KYC was verified and a team arrived in Mumbai. The consignee was detained from Vasai. The consignee’s examination unraveled the network and the modus operandi,” Malhotra said.
The consignee, S Ghangale, is allegedly associated with several high-profile drug traffickers in Mumbai, posing as property dealers or construction contractors. Malhotra said the distribution network for this poster is under extensive investigation as it has ties to high-profile users of Bollywood.
“The network also involves DJ and other party organizers, who are connected to party circles in Mumbai. Ghangale has been detained in transit and will be brought before a court in Delhi,” Malhotra added. The NCB has launched a search for other members of this union.
The controlled delivery mechanism refers to the technique of allowing illicit or suspected consignments of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or controlled substances to leave or pass through the territory of India with the knowledge and supervision of an authorized agent. The objective is to identify the members and recipients of the cartel.
