Mumbai concert death case: Nigerian man arrested, drugs worth Rs 2.21 crore seized

Mumbai, April 19 In an ongoing crackdown against drug networks across Mumbai, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) conducted a raid in the Khar area and arrested a foreign national and seized cocaine and MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets with a total value of Rs 2.21 crore, officials said on Sunday.

The Mumbai Police said that they are continuously tightening their noose around drug suppliers, peddlers, and individuals linked to these networks. The officials said that the accused was apprehended in Khar under "suspicious circumstances".

This comes against the backdrop of the death of two individuals due to a suspected drug overdose at a live concert held at the NESCO Centre in Mumbai's Goregaon on April 11.

According to the police, a team from the ANC's Worli unit was on patrol on Saturday. Around 11:15 p.m., when the team reached the area behind the 'C-Sand' building on Shirley Rajan Road in Khar West, they spotted a man of African origin standing there with a side bag.

Upon seeing the police vehicle, he attempted to flee. The team immediately intercepted him and initiated questioning.

The accused identified himself as Ije Ezekiel Njoku (39); he is originally a native of Nigeria and was currently residing in Nalasopara, officials said.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused admitted that his bag contained cocaine and MDMA tablets, and that he had come to the location to sell them to customers.

A subsequent search of the bag yielded a white powdery substance; an on-the-spot field test confirmed it to be cocaine. The substance weighed 113 grams, and based on international market rates, its value has been estimated at approximately Rs 2.14 crore, officials said.

Additionally, 45 yellow-coloured MDMA tablets were recovered from the bag, weighing a reported 24 grams. These tablets are valued at Rs 7.20 lakh.

Police investigations revealed that the recovered tablets were rectangular in shape; one side bore the inscription "Audi RS," while the other side featured the distinct four-ring logo. The police suspect that these drugs were being supplied to the high-profile party circuit and among the youth.

According to the police, following the NESCO drugs party case, the force remains on high alert; surveillance has been intensified across hotels, clubs, party hubs, and the western suburbs.

A Nigerian passport, a valid Indian visa, and two mobile phones were recovered from the arrested accused. The police are now scrutinising mobile data, call records, chat logs, and digital payment transactions to identify the specific clients and suppliers with whom the accused was connected.

Following the investigation into the drugs party held at the NESCO complex in Goregaon, the Mumbai Police had issued a clear warning that strict action would be taken against those promoting drug culture within the city.

"The ongoing series of raids now serves to reinforce this message: that party drugs, cocaine, and foreign-linked drug networks will not be tolerated in Mumbai under any circumstances," officials said.

Police officials believe that the arrested individual constitutes merely one link in the supply chain. In the coming days, action is expected to be initiated against other foreign nationals, local peddlers, and party organisers associated with this network, they added.

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