Two women were arrested by the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police Crime Branch for alleged possession of drugs in different parts of the city.
According to ANC officials, the first arrest was made by its Worli unit from Wadala Truck Terminus on Wednesday morning.
The accused, identified as Merry Tewar (30), is a resident of Sion Koliwada and has a past record of drug peddling with Pydhonie police.
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Caught by cops on patrol
Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Shivdekar said Ms. Tewar was caught while an ANC team was on a routine patrol at around 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Mr. Shivdekar said, “There were around seven of us on duty and we saw Tewar standing by the side of the road as though she was waiting for someone. We slowed down and called out to her. As soon as she saw us, she started running. One of our female personnel chased her and nabbed her. We found 272 grams of heroin in a black plastic bag that she was carrying.”
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Ms. Tewar allegedly confessed to the ANC team that she had bought the drugs, worth ₹2.72 lakh in the Indian illegal drug market, from a woman from Masjid known as Laali, who is also a repeat offender.
She was arrested and charged for drug peddling under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The police said that quantity above 250 grams of heroin is considered ‘commercial’ under the NDPS Act. “Ms. Tewar had been regularly buying drugs from Laali. We are trying to trace and apprehend her,” said Police Inspector Ninad Sawant, who is in-charge of the ANC’s Worli unit.
Mr. Shivdekar said, “Ms. Tewar has been arrested thrice in the past by Pydhonie police for peddling drugs in their jurisdiction. She has been constantly changing locations to avoid being caught. She would mostly sell drugs outside railway stations and educational institutes.”
In the second case, Azad Maidan unit of the ANC arrested a woman identified as Nasrin Shaikh (25), who was allegedly caught with drugs which are considered controlled substances under the NDPS Act. ANC officials said that alprazolam and nitrazepam worth ₹1.79 lakh were seized from her.