A Nigerian belonging to an international drug racket which employs postal services to smuggle contrabands and illegal drugs has been arrested by the Indian Narcotics Control Bureau, NCB, in collaboration with the Anti-Narcotics Cell, ANC, of the Mumbai police.
Frank Williams, the Nigerian man was arrested with 600 grams of cocaine worth between Rs. 4 crore and Rs. 4.8 crore ($640,000 – $719,500).
The hard drug was detected in the axle of a vehicle which wa sen via post from Latin America.
Leading up to the arrest, the Indian Narcotics Control Bureau received a tip off and therefore worked in collaboration with the Postal services and the Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Mumbai police.
The Joint effort trailed the parcel as it crossed over three countries and made the arrest when the parcel reached a post office at Khoparkhairane, Navi in Mumbai.
An official said; “We could have stopped the parcel at the Foreign Post Office as all post parcels are routed through it. We played along so we could reach the recipient,”
Explaining the Modus Operandi of the drug cartels, the Zonal Director of NCB, Sanjay Jha, explain that the illegal drugs whose demand is on the high in India is sent through postal services or courier companies and addressed to a wrong or non-existent location which will mean return to the postal office.
He added; “They then track the parcel online. When it reaches its destination city, it lies at the post office as the address is wrong. The recipient then picks it up from the post office,”