A Nigerian man has been arrested by the Mumbai Police Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) after officers seized 523 grams of cocaine worth about ₹5.23 crore (₦861,705,887.60) in a pre-dawn raid on Saturday.
According to police reports, the operation was carried out around 4:15 a.m. near Diamond Ayva Hostel on Hansmukh Road, Vakola. Officers noticed a man acting suspiciously on the pavement and decided to confront him. Before conducting a search, independent witnesses were called to the scene.
During the search, the officers found a white nylon bag in his possession containing a transparent pouch filled with a powdery substance. A senior official said a field test using a chemical detection kit turned light blue, confirming the material was cocaine.
The suspect, identified as 30 year old Nsude Chimaobi Igwesi, was arrested on the spot. Police Constable Amol Salunkhe lodged a formal complaint, and the ANC’s Bandra Unit opened a case under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
India’s Independent News Agency (IANS) shared on X that the Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Narcotics Bandra Unit nabbed Igwesi in the Santacruz-Vakola area. The post confirmed that the confiscated substance tested positive for cocaine and that investigations are ongoing to trace its source and intended destination.
Officials added that intelligence efforts are underway to identify and dismantle the wider drug network connected to the seized consignment.
