PANAJI
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle a significant quantity of narcotics into Goa, various parts of Maharashtra, and other major cities. This operation, which spanned over a month and resulted in the arrest of nine drug traffickers, including three foreign nationals, led to the seizure of nearly 206 kgs of Cocaine and Alprazolam, with a total value of Rs 135 crore.
Sources informed The Goan that the NCB’s actions were prompted by the increased demand for drugs during the tourist season.
“Given that Goa receives a substantial number of visitors during this period, the accused had targeted this tourist destination as one of their primary smuggling markets,” the source stated.
The NCB team utilized intelligence inputs to track the entire operation, spanning from Gujarat to Maharashtra and Goa.
The NCB team claimed that they received credible intelligence about international drug trafficking syndicates involved in illicit activities from foreign sources in Mumbai.
“These drugs were intended for further distribution in cities like Goa, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and others,” NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Amit Ghawate said.
Through digital surveillance and other monitoring methods, the NCB identified a Nigerian network based in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, which had received a consignment of Cocaine for distribution. They traced a Nigerian named Paul Ikenna, also known as Bossman, who had been involved in drug trafficking for several years.
Bossman has a history of drug-related offenses, including arrests in 1989 for a four-kilogram Heroin case, in 2001 for an 11kg Heroin case that resulted in a conviction, and involvement in another NCB-Bengaluru case in January 2023 before being apprehended in the recent raid.
In a subsequent operation, the NCB team arrested the remaining alleged drug traffickers, including a Bolivian lady named Evelina Alvarez. Throughout these operations, targeting national and international trafficking syndicates, the NCB seized a total of 6.959 kg of Cocaine and 199.25 kg of Alprazolam, valued at Rs 135 crore.
