A sustained crackdown by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the city police has forced foreign nationals especially the Africans, involved in drug trade, to shift base to Navi Mumbai.
While they still conduct their business in south Mumbai, they now live in Navi Mumbai. After selling drugs in the island city, they travel back to Navi Mumbai to avoid a longer presence in the area. “We had caught many of them last year and also from the beginning of this year. Many of them rented apartments in these areas and carried out their trade. But they have now moved to Navi Mumbai and travel to the main city only to conduct their illegal businesses,” said senior police inspector Sunil Kavalekar of the Azad Maidan unit of the ANC. Africans usually sell costly chemical drugs like cocaine, heroin and LSD. Other drugs are available from local drug peddlers.
A police officer from Navi Mumbai police said, “We have observed a slight increase in the number of African residents in the Nerul, Seawoods and Kharghar areas. However, whether, this is a result of the crackdown by the Mumbai police cannot be said.”
ANC officials said the persons from the African country are not seen during routine patrolling and clandestine recce carried out in South Mumbai by officers to gather information. “They know if they stay here, their chances of getting caught would be higher. They, therefore, prefer immediately going back after selling drugs,” said Mr Kavalekar.
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Ex-corporator held for taking bribe
Thane, April 19: BJP leader and former corporator of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation has been arrested by the anti-extortion cell (AEC) of Thane police, for allegedly demanding `2 lakh from a builder, to let him construct an additional floor in a illegal structure.
Siddeshwar Kammurti was arrested from his residence in Bhiwandi after he demanded the sum from builder Kaimuddin Isamuddin Shaikh, for allowing him to construct a fourth floor in a three-storeyed building, AEC inspector D.B. Patil said.
After due deliberations, it was decided that an amount of `70,000 would be paid to the leader for protection of the unauthorised construction, Mr Patil said. Accordingly, a sum of `20,000 was paid to the leader on March 2, and again another `25,000 was paid on April 8. However, Kammurti and his accomplice Gulam Ansari started pestering the builder for the balance amount and threatened him. The annoyed builder lodged a complaint with the AEC of the Thane police, which laid a trap at his house on Wednesday and trapped him accepting `25,000 cash from the builder. The police also arrested Ansari and both were produced before the local magistrate who remanded them to police custody till April 23. — PTI