Khar police nab drug peddler, seize cocaine worth `3.40 lakh

MUMBAI: In a crackdown on the circulation of banned drugs in the city, Khar police have arrested a 29-year-old man for possession of 68-grams banned drug cocaine worth Rs 3.40 lakh. The accused was apparently arrested after receiving a tip-off from one of the biggest drug distributors arrested by Bandra Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC).

Three days after the ANC arrested Sabir Khan (32) with one kilogram of Mephedrone (MD) which is a synthetic stimulant drug of the amphetamine and cathinone classes, Khan began revealing the names of the drug dealers he sold in the western suburban area of the city. Acting on the tip-off given by Khan, a team led by the police inspector Nandkumar Gopale of Khar police station laid a trap near Mother Teresa BMC ground on Sunday and arrested Faisal Shafik Shaikh (29) with around 68 grams of Cocaine worth Rs 3.40 lakh from him.

Police inspector Gopale said, "After Khan was arrested, he revealed more than 20 peddlers were working under him in the city's suburbs. He also used to supply drugs to college students through school kids in order to not have direct contact with the buyers. The same modus operandi was used by Shaikh, after which he nabbed him from Hasnabad Lane at Khar."

Khar police booked Shaikh under relevant sections of the Narcotics Psychotropic Drugs and Substances (NDPS) Act.