The officials on Wednesday said that the police have arrested a Nigerian national after seizing mephedrone drug valued at Rs 42.8 lakh from him in Maharashtra`s Palghar district, reported news agency PTI.

During a routine patrol on October 11, personnel of the police`s Anti-Narcotics Cell noticed the man moving suspiciously near a cricket club ground in the Nallasopara area, reported PTI.

When questioned and searched, he was found in possession of 214 grams of mephedrone (MD), a synthetic stimulant drug banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, a police official said.

The accused, identified as Kalu Bassey Chukwuemeka (45), a resident of Pragati Nagar in Nallasopara, was arrested and booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, the official said, reported PTI.

Man held with mephedrone worth Rs 40.64 lakh in Thane

In another case, a 47-year-old man has been arrested for alleged possession of mephedrone worth Rs 40.64 lakh in Maharashtra`s Thane city, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI.

A patrolling team of the Kalwa police intercepted the accused, Irfan Noormohammad Shaikh, near Kalwa Naka on October 11 after he was found loitering suspiciously, an official said, reported PTI.

“On checking his bag, officers found packets containing more than 200 gm of mephedrone, worth Rs 40.64 lakh in the illicit market,” he said.

The official said that a case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against the accused, who was involved in peddling mephedrone in the Kalwa and Thane regions, reported PTI.

The police are now tracing the source of the narcotics and identifying potential buyers.

Drugs worth Rs 7 crore seized from parts of Mumbai; Nigerian among 9 held

Meanwhile, the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai police on Saturday recovered cocaine and other drugs collectively worth over Rs 7 crore in six separate operations conducted in parts of the city, and arrested nine persons, including a Nigerian national, officials said, reported PTI.

The action was part of a special operation carried out by the anti-drug unit in and around the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Kurla, Mazgaon, Govandi, Borivali, Vakola areas, an official said.

In the first case, the Nigerian national was arrested after 525 grams of cocaine valued at Rs 5.23 crore was recovered from him at Vakola in Santacruz area, he said.

In separate operations at Kurla, Mazgaon, Govandi, Borivali area, the ANC arrested five persons and 211 grams of mephedrone drug worth Rs 54.65 lakh was found, he said, reported PTI.

The Ghatkopar unit of the ANC arrested three members of an inter-state gang and seized from them Nitrazepam drug tablets valued at Rs 1.24 crore.

(With inputs from PTI)

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