2 days ago
Cops bust drugs cartel, arrest 7, including a British national
MUMBAI: An international drug cartel was busted by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police with the arrest of seven people. The police said among the arrested is a British national, who is the kingpin of the racket and smuggled the drugs into the country via Mozambique - a transshipment point for illicit drug trafficking.
'Acting on a tip-off, our teams on May 28 arrested Kuldeep Singh Harjeet Singh Gozara, 50, a resident of De Vere Gardens, Kensington, an affluent locality in London. He was carrying a trolley bag and when that was checked, our teams found 5.02 kg of cocaine, valued at around ₹52 crore, in it,' said a police officer.
Gozara was picked up from Jogeshwari East where he had come to deliver the consignment. He is originally from Punjab but settled in London, said the police officer. The Worli Unit of the Anti-Narcotics Cell started a probe after the arrest of Gozara to trace his buyers and suppliers.
Following his interrogation, they arrested Shaikh Mohammad Arif Uddin, who stays in Mozambique in East Africa, and is believed to be a Bangladeshi national.
'We also arrested Mahendra Preji, who hails from Diu Island. Our teams further arrested Abdul Samad Afzal Memon, Parvez Afaq and Rishabh Edris,' said the police officer.
Police also seized various codes from them related to hawala payments which are being scrutinized.
'We have found that the accused made several trips to Mozambique and Dubai. Our interrogations are at the primary stage and the seized drugs' value is around ₹52 crore,' said the officer.
