Mumbai: Byculla Police, in a joint operation with their Agripada, Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Marg and Railway counterparts on Wednesday, arrested three Nigerian drug peddlers for rioting and manhandling the residents of Ekta Nagar at Byculla. The incident occurred on June 1.
Emmanuel Eze, 28, Stanley alias Obiena Obi, 27, and Ugwu Ifechi, 27, were arrested by the police for acts endangering life or personal safety of others (Section 336), unlawful assembly (Sections 143 and 149), rioting (Section 147), voluntarily causing hurt (Section 323) and criminal intimidation (Section 504 and Section 506) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to Avinash Shingte, Senior Police Inspector, Byculla police station, “In a joint operation carried out along with the Agripada Police, Jamshetjeee Jeejeebhoy Marg Police, Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Police Force (RPF), we have arrested three Nigerian nationals. We had booked total fifteen Nigerian nationals for rioting.”
The accused would sell mephedrone, marijuana and other narcotics substances near the railway tracks between Sandhurst Road and Byculla railway stations after 1am every night. The customers created a menace in the area at night, causing trouble to the residents of the area.
On June 1, 50 residents of Ekta Nagar at Byculla blocked the foot overbridge leading to the railway tracks, where the peddlers would usually wait for the buyers.
Due to the presence of the residents, the customers had refrained from approaching the peddlers. In a fit of rage, the peddlers had attacked the residents by hurling stones at them, abusing and manhandling them.
Ten residents sustained minor injuries in the rioting.The police had deployed bandobast in the area after the incident.