Police have arrested four foreign nationals for allegedly possessing more than 6 kg of cocaine worth Rs 38 crore in Andheri west on Saturday night. The police said the gang had concealed the drugs inside plastic rings used to fasten curtains, which they were allegedly trying to send to South Africa.
A team led by Inspector Daya Nayak of Amboli police station laid a trap on Morya Estate Road in Lokhandwala, Andheri West, after receiving information that a large consignment of drugs would change hands there.
The accused have been identified as Niras Okhowo, Simon Ogobata and Michael Hope — all Nigerian nationals — and Brazilian national Carla Iris.
Manoj Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner of Police, West region, said the gang would hollow out large plastic rings sewn into cloth curtains and fill them with 5-7 grams of cocaine each. A total of 78 such curtains and 6.49 kg of cocaine were seized from an apartment in Khoparkhairane, Navi Mumbai, where the accused live, the police said.
“The accused planned to send the consignment to Johannesburg, South Africa. In our inquiry, we have found that they also sent such consignments of drugs concealed in curtains through courier services previously. We are speaking to the courier companies concerned on whether they were aware of the smuggling,” said Sharma.
According to the police, Oghowo is currently out on bail in a drug-related offence while Iris was released from Byculla Jail two months ago.
Sharma added that the accused were produced in a court on Sunday and remanded to police custody for seven days.
(mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com)
