The Navi Mumbai police have destroyed drugs worth Rs 26.48 crore seized in various cases as part of its anti-narcotics campaign, an official said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.

Seized contraband, recovered in 35 cases, was officially disposed of at the government-authorised Mumbai Waste Management Company in Taloja, Panvel (Raigad district) on Friday, the official said, reported PTI.

According to the Navi Mumbai police, this was the second such large-scale disposal of drugs this year.

“Drugs worth Rs 11.61 crore seized in 79 cases were similarly destroyed on February 26. With the latest action, nearly Rs 38 crore worth of narcotics have been legally destroyed in Navi Mumbai so far this year,” a police release stated, reported PTI.

Between 2023 and 2025, the Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate registered 1,831 cases, arrested 2,854 accused, and seized drugs worth Rs 70.18 crore, reported PTI.

“The arrested accused included 101 African nationals, who were arrested with Rs 40 crore worth of narcotics. Additionally, 2,034 African nationals residing illegally in Navi Mumbai were deported,” the release said, reported PTI.

Action under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has been taken against seven major drug traffickers, it said.

The `Drug-Free Navi Mumbai` campaign was formally launched on January 8 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, initiated by Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe.

Rs 17.4 lakh brown sugar seized in Palghar; auto-rickshaw driver held

In another case, the police have arrested a 24-year-old auto-rickshaw driver after seizing brown sugar valued at Rs 17.4 lakh from his possession in Maharashtra`s Palghar district, officials said on Thursday, reported PTI.

The man was found loitering on Tuesday near Capital Mall, on the east side of Nalasopara Railway Station.

During the search, 56.04 gm of brown sugar was recovered from the accused, identified as Samsad Jamshed Ali, hailing from Uttarakhand and residing in Nalasopara area here, the Achole police said, reported PTI.

The police later carried out a search of his residence, which resulted in the recovery of an additional 28 gm of the contraband, they said.

A case has been registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the police added. 

(With inputs from PTI)

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