Nigerian arrested in Hyderabad for drug peddling

Hyderabad, Oct 22 (IANS) Hyderabad police on Saturday arrested a Nigerian for alleged drug peddling.

Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) along with Panjagutta police also arrested two interstate drug peddlers.

The peddlers were found selling and in possession of cocaine.

Forty grams of cocaine and eight cell phones, all valued at Rs 5 lakh were seized from the accused.

The Nigerian was identified as Mohammed Toiru Bakari (35), residing in Pune. The other accused Apurva Mataprasad Upadhyay (41) and Ajay Kumar Choupal (18) were residents of Mumbai.

According to police, Toiru Bakari was absconding in a case registered against him NDPS Act at Panjagutta police station.

The investigation revealed that in 2013 he came to India and used to work as a chef at an African restaurant at Mira Road Mumbai. He met drug suppliers at the restaurant and started procuring the drug in small quantity and selling the same to the customers.

As the demand of cocaine in Pune is high and to earn easy money, he moved to Pune in 2017 and started peddling drugs. In 2019 he along with Apurva Mataprasad Upadhyay were arrested by the Narcotics Cell, Customs, Pune for selling and possessing 40 grams of cocaine and was released in 2020.

Since then, they both continued the drug peddling business to the needy consumers of Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad.

For the past 5 years they had been doing this drug peddling. He frequently used to visit Hyderabad to sell the cocaine to the needy consumers and also supplied the same to Upadhyay and Choupal to earn easy money.

Chakravarthy Gummi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad-Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) said they have so far identified five consumers, who were purchasing the drug from the accused.

Investigation was continuing to identify other consumers.

In another case H-NEW along with Golconda Police apprehended one drug peddler.

He was found in illegal possession of MDMA near Ramdevguda, under Golconda police station limits. Total 30 grams of MDMA, one cell phone and cash Rs 3,000 was seized at the instance of the accused.

The accused Alim Khan (27) was working in textile shop in Mumbai and is a native of Uttar Pradesh.

According to police, while working in Mumbai he developed contacts with drug dealers and purchase psychotropic drugs from dealers and was supplying to the needy consumers in Mumbai and Hyderabad. He was frequently visiting Hyderabad to supply MDMA at Rs 15,000 per gram.

As of now drug consumers, who are purchasing drugs from the above accused are identified and the investigation is being continued to identify other consumers.

The police officer said in recent times police noticed several youth and students getting addicted to drugs, committing crime and involving in other anti-social activities. Several families have become victims of this menace.

He appealed to the students and youth not to fall prey to drugs and requested the parents to keep a watch on the activities of their children and feel free to approach police or pass information to police on to curtail such anti-social activities and strive for drug free city.