9 held, 5 anti-narcotics officers hurt

MUMBAI:NINE African nationals were arrested on Saturday early morning after the anti-narcotics cell (ANC) conducted an overnight operation near the Eastern Freeway on Mumbai Port Trust.

Two taxis carrying the nine suspects were waylaid by the ANC and four policemen sustained minor injures in the scuffle. Police have seized 104gm of cocaine worth ₹5.20 lakh and 9gm of mephedrone worth ₹18,000.

Around 80 staffers from all units of the ANC were posted at different locations across south Mumbai – JJ road, Dongri and Byculla. “Two of the accused were carrying knives,” said an ANC officer who was part of the operation.

Shivdeep Lande, deputy commissioner of police, ANC, “This is biggest operation conducted against foreign nationals. No passports were found in their possession.”

The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances

(NDPS) Act and the Indian Penal Code for obstructing policemen while discharging duties.

Last week, two officers and three constable from the ANC were left injured while they were trying to nab two Nigerians suspected of drug possession between Byculla and Sandhurst. The accused began pelting stones at the officers. Assistant police inspector Amar Marathe had sustained serious head injuries.

“It was after this attack that we launched an investigation into the areas frequented by drug peddlers and decided to set up the operation this weekend,” said an official.

The agency is now investigating where the drugs were procured from. Police are on the lookout for a cocaine consignment, owing to a number of similar cases being reported recently.

On Wednesday, an African national was arrested while he was boarding a train to Delhi and 160gm of cocaine was seized from him. On Monday, a Nigerian national travelling by bus from Mumbai to Bangalore was held with 150gm of cocaine.