Mumbai: The Mumbai zonal unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has recently thwarted several cases of drugs smuggling in the city and state. The agency has also busted a drug manufacturing laboratory near Pune and seized huge quantities of Alprazolam, which was sold in Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, especially for making illegal Toddy. NCB Mumbai's Zonal Director Amit Ghawate spoke to The Free Press Journal on the latest trends in drug trafficking and measures taken by the agency to curb the menace. Excerpts from an interview given to Somendra Sharma.
Q. Recently, there have been several cases wherein a lot of drug laboratories and factories had been busted in Maharashtra. What do you think is the reason that drug traffickers are setting up their base in Maharashtra?
A. In a first, the NCB Mumbai busted a factory involved in manufacturing of Alprazolam. In Maharashtra, we have a large industrial base which has its own positives and negatives. The positive is that we get employment and the negative is that such illegal activities thrive in the absence of effective enforcement. For example, the Alprazolam factory was functioning as a hand sanitiser manufacturer on record. In fact, it also had related raw materials, but it was a drug lab in reality. Now the trend is that organised syndicates are involved in these factories. This particular racket was running since 2018 and nobody had a whiff of it. The factory inspector should be more vigilant.
Q. What is the scenario of drug trafficking in Mumbai and whether any major player has been identified?
A. In October, a Bolivian woman, Evelina Alvarez who flew from Sao Paulo to Mumbai via Dubai, was staying at a Khetwadi hotel. A NCB team swooped on the hotel and apprehended her along with another woman Gloria Ilorca C, also a Bolivian national. A search resulted in recovery of 2.18 kg of cocaine from the baggage of Evelina while another 2.82 kg of cocaine was found in Gloria's baggage. In the form of powder, liquid and paste, the contraband was concealed among non-suspicious items such as undergarments, clothes, toothpaste, cosmetic tubes, soap, footwear and makeup kit. The seized cocaine was worth Rs20 crore. A Sao Paulo-based syndicate uses them as mules. For every successful trip, they were promised 3,000 USD each while 200 USD was paid in advance.
Q. Is Mumbai being used as a transit place by drug traffickers?
A. Recently, we intercepted 15,000 Nitrazepam tables from Mumbai, which were destined for the United States. Simultaneously, we had also apprehended a person in Uttar Pradesh and discovered that there is a syndicate in UP that was using Mumbai as a base for export to other countries. As soon as the new year comes, the city sees an increase in cocaine trafficking. As per trends, drug consumption falls into three major categories. The top class of the city is still consuming cocaine while the lower strata prefers mephedrone and the even below class consumes codeine-based cough syrup.
Q. The NCB had recently busted a gang involved in smuggling Tramadol to Nigeria and getting cocaine in return. Five people, including a bank official and the landlord of the property where the gang members lived, were arrested. Have we lodged any case with the local police against the traffickers for using forged documents to operate their syndicate?
A. Yes, we have got an FIR registered against them with the local police. Now, if we come across the use of forged documents in any case, we would lodge an FIR against the suspects.
Q. What measures are being taken to stop drug trafficking menace?
A. We are always on our toes. We regularly conduct narcotics coordination meetings at central, state and district levels. All efforts are being taken to eliminate drug trafficking in the city.
