Maha: Drugs worth 21 lakh seized from man having 19 cases

A 32-year-old man having 19criminal cases against him has been arrested following seizureof mephedrone, a banned drug, worth Rs 21 lakh from hispossession in Mumbai, a police official said on Sunday.

The accused, Abdul Aziz Abdul Hamid Shaikh, was nabbedon Saturday from 90 Feet Road in Dharavi area when he startedrunning away after seeing officials of the police's anti-narcotics cell (ANC) patrolling there, he said.

Sleuths of the ANC's Worli unit caught him and seized210 gm of mephedrone worth around Rs 21 lakh from hispossession, the official said.

Mephedrone, also known as MD, is a synthetic stimulantand banned under the Narcotic Drugs and PsychotropicSubstances (NDPS) Act.

During a probe into the matter, the police came toknow that Shaikh already had 19 cases registered against himin Mumbai, including for murder, robbery and under theProtection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, theANC official said.

The accused had also been externed from Mumbai thrice,he said.

A case has now been registered against him under theNDPS Act, he added.