Pune: Nigerian held for possessing cocaine
Asseem Shaikh | TNN | Apr 9, 2019, 22:26 IST
PUNE: The customs department, Pune on Monday arrested a Nigerian national and recovered 38 gram cocaine worth Rs 3 lakh from his possession near a shopping centre at Aundh.
Officials from the narcotics cell of the department had received reliable information of trafficking drugs and maintained survelliance near a shopping centre and intercepted Alex Thomba (23) riding a scooter in a suspicion manner.
“Thomba’s frisking led to the recovery of a transparent plastic pouch containing white coloured powder like substance which, he confessed, was cocaine, a narcotics drugs and a banned substance,” said Suhail Kazi, joint commissioner, customs, Pune.
Kazi’s statement read, “The powder purported to be cocaine weighing 38 gram is valued at Rs 3 lakh in the international market. The scooter worth Rs 30,000 used by Thomba was also seized. Thomba in his statement has accepted wilful and conscious possession and for sale to potential buyers in the party circuit at Pune.”
The Nigerian was arrested under the relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs Phsychotropics Substances Act. He was produced before a special court on Tuesday and sent in judicial custody remand. He was later sent to the Yerawada central jail.
“The cell officials are conducting detail investigation of the supplier and the customers to whom the cocaine was to be supplied in the city,” Kazi said.
The oficials said,“Investigations has revealed that the Nigerian arrived in Mumbai on a tourist visa in October 2018. Thomba procured cocaine from a source there and reached Pune by bus. He then borrowed a scooter from a Nigerian friend and was on way to the shopping centre when he was taken into custody. The cell suspects him to be a member of an organised crime syndicate involved in selling cocaine in Pune at a handsome price.”
Officials from the narcotics cell of the department had received reliable information of trafficking drugs and maintained survelliance near a shopping centre and intercepted Alex Thomba (23) riding a scooter in a suspicion manner.
“Thomba’s frisking led to the recovery of a transparent plastic pouch containing white coloured powder like substance which, he confessed, was cocaine, a narcotics drugs and a banned substance,” said Suhail Kazi, joint commissioner, customs, Pune.
Kazi’s statement read, “The powder purported to be cocaine weighing 38 gram is valued at Rs 3 lakh in the international market. The scooter worth Rs 30,000 used by Thomba was also seized. Thomba in his statement has accepted wilful and conscious possession and for sale to potential buyers in the party circuit at Pune.”
The Nigerian was arrested under the relevant sections of the Narcotics Drugs Phsychotropics Substances Act. He was produced before a special court on Tuesday and sent in judicial custody remand. He was later sent to the Yerawada central jail.
“The cell officials are conducting detail investigation of the supplier and the customers to whom the cocaine was to be supplied in the city,” Kazi said.
The oficials said,“Investigations has revealed that the Nigerian arrived in Mumbai on a tourist visa in October 2018. Thomba procured cocaine from a source there and reached Pune by bus. He then borrowed a scooter from a Nigerian friend and was on way to the shopping centre when he was taken into custody. The cell suspects him to be a member of an organised crime syndicate involved in selling cocaine in Pune at a handsome price.”
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