₹38.95-crore drug seizure: Cops on the lookout for fifth accused

MUMBAI: The Amboli police are on the lookout for the fifth accused in the ₹38.95 crore drug seizure case. On Saturday, four foreign nationals were arrested in Andheri (West) with 6.492kg of cocaine was worth ₹38.95 crore. They were to meet the fifth accused in the case, a Nigerian national, identified as Igwe, to hand him over the consignment of cocaine, which they had hidden inside curtain rings.

Police have discovered the involvement of two South African residents in the case and suspect that Igwe would courier the drugs to South Africa from the city to the them. Police also suspect that from South Africa, the drugs are pumped into the European narcotics market. Police said Igwe’s arrest is crucial, as he

is the link between the four accused arrested on Saturday and the cartel in South Africa.

“His arrest is important for us. He is being tracked very closely and we are very close to arresting him,” police inspector Daya Nayak said.

Police added that Igwe had

sent consignments outside the country on previous occasions too.

On Saturday, Nigerian nationals Niras Okhovo, 35, Simon Agobata, 32 and Michael Hope, 29, and Brazilian national Karle Iris, 41, were arrested after police seized narcotics from them.