The Navi Mumbai branch of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended two individuals, including a Ugandan woman, in possession of 'MD Rock' (mephedrone) drugs valued at Rs 12.4 lakhs. The arrests took place near Palaspe in Panvel on Tuesday night, leading to the registration of a case against the suspects at the Panvel City police station under the pertinent section of the NDPS Act.
They were later arrested by the Panvel City police. They were identified as Fatima Nayuto, 34, a native of from Uganda, and Pravin Ramu Rathod, 24, a resident of Bidar in Karnataka.
A team of ATS Navi Mumbai on Tuesday noticed the duo travelling in an auto-rickshaw towards Palaspe from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) side around 8.55 pm. Based on suspicion, when the ATS team stopped the rickshaw and frisked both of them, they found three plastic packets. In one of them, which was transparent, they found 60.240 grams of Mephedrone drug worth Rs 6 lakh. Similarly, in the two packets, they found 39.99 grams and 24.14 grams of the drug respectively. In collectively, they seized 125 grams of MD drugs, mobile phones and other worth Rs 12.5 lakh from their possession.
According to police, they were carrying the drug for selling in retail to make profits. The police are trying to find out the source of the contraband and to whom the accused intended to sell it, he added.
“Since they were travelling from Palaspe to JNPT, we are investigating to whom they were supposed to deliver the contraband,” said a police official from Panvel City police station. Now, the further investigation is being carried out by Panvel City Police.