3 Nigerian drug peddlers pelted stones at cops, locals, arrested
MUMBAI: After laying a trap near the Byculla railway bridge for more than 12 days, city and the railway police arrested three Nigerian drug peddlers allegedly involved in pelting stones at residents and the police on June 1.
According to the Byculla police, this was the second joint operation of Agripada police, JJ Marg police, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) in the past two years to fish out the Nigerians peddling drugs in the area.
The arrested accused are Innocense Eze, 28, Stanley alias Obiena Obi, 27, and Ugwu Ifechiy, 27. A police officer said on June 1, several Nigerian drug peddlers had injured residents of Ekta Nagar and policemen by pelting stones at them after the latter tried to stop them from frequenting Byculla railway station area for selling drugs. They had
injured around 10 persons.
Byculla police had then registered a case of rioting and assault against 20 odd drug peddlers. Police said the Nigerian drug peddlers included women as well.
“We had been laying traps since that day to track the Nigerians who had managed to flee,” said Avinash Shingte, senior inspector of Byculla police station. On Tuesday night, after spotting some Nigerian drug peddlers, local residents alerted the police. Officials said as they approached the tracks, the Nigerians spotted them and began to run. “We were following them along with the police when we saw the Nigerians run. We chased them till they reached the Byculla railway bridge, but then they jumped into a godown tearing its roof. We ran down to find the godown locked from outside,” said Farooq Shaikh, a resident of Ekta Nagar who helped the police in nabbing the accused.
The police nabbed them after breaking open the godown lock. Officers however said there were no drugs found on the arrested accused, “They must have thrown the drugs away while escaping,” said an officer. They have been arrested under sections 336, 143, 147, 149, 323, 504 and 506 of the IPC, said Shingte.