Nigerian woman held with mephedrone worth Rs 2.25 crore in Palghar

A Nigerian woman was arrested allegedly with mephedrone worth Rs 2.25 crore in Maharashtra`s Palghar district, a police official said on Thursday, reported the PTI.

Tulinj police station senior inspector Vijay Jadhav identified the accused as Anthoy Odina (43).

“Mephdrone granules weighing 1.125 kilograms and worth Rs 2.25 crore were seized from her. The operation was carried out by the local anti narcotics cell on a tip off. She was held from Moregaon in Nalasopara and has been charged under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Foreigners Act,” he said, according to the PTI.

In an another case, last month, the Crime Branch Unit-2 of Vasai has arrested a Nigerian national with drugs worth over Rs 11 crore in Maharashtra`s Palghar district.

The accused, identified as Victor Odichinma Onuwala, is an actor who has played villainous roles in several South Indian and Bollywood films, including the recently released Salman Khan starrer Sikandar.

Following a tip off about suspicious activities in a flat on the third floor of Mahesh Apartment in Evershine City, Vasai East, a Crime Branch Unit II team under senior inspector Samir Ahirrao carried out a raid on April 5, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Mandan Ballal told reporters. 

According to officials, Onuwala has a widespread network in the film industry and is suspected of supplying drugs to individuals in the entertainment sector. The crime branch had been tracking Onuwala for the past month, but he had remained untraceable until his arrest. He was finally caught in possession of a large quantity of drugs.

Woman wanted in Rs 2.25 crore drug seizure case nabbed

Meanwhile, in an another incident, a 50-year-old woman wanted in a Rs 2.25 crore drug seizure case has been arrested here after being on the run for three months, police said on Thursday, as per the PTI.

Nilofer Sherali Cendole was nabbed by the Thane police`s Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) in Vikhroli on Wednesday when she was travelling from Bandra to Mumbra near Thane, said an official.

In February, the Thane ANC had conducted a raid in Shil Daighar area of Thane and arrested Ilyas Khan (19), Aman Kamal Khan (21) and Saif Khan (25) after seizing MD, a narcotic drug, worth Rs 2.25 crore from a flat, the PTI reported.

The flat belonged to Nilofer Cendole and they were about to deliver the drugs to her, the police claimed.

Cendole had then allegedly absconded, but continued to operate in Bandra MHADA ground area, officials said, the news agency reported.

She has multiple cases registered against her, an official said, adding that further probe was underway.

(with PTI inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day