MBA, LLB students among 9 held for drug trafficking in Noida

Nine people, including four university students, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the supply of drugs to college-goers and others in Noida, the police said.

The police have seized a variety of Indian and foreign-origin drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, hashish, MDMA, estimated to be worth around Rs 30 lakh in the black market, and claim international links in the racket.

The arrests have been made by officials of Sector 126 police station as part of a crackdown on narcotics ordered by police commissioner Laxmi Singh, deputy commissioner of police (Noida) Harish Chander said.

“It's an ongoing crackdown against narcotics in which arrests and seizures have been made in Greater Noida in the past. Now as part of the same campaign, nine people have been arrested by the Sector 126 police station officials,” the DCP said.

“Four of them are students – two enrolled in MBA and two in LLB programmes at a university here. Narcotic substances like MDMA, ganja, OG, have been seized from their possession in large quantities,” Chander told reporters.

“These accused, especially the four students, were supplying the drugs in educational institutions and PGs. They procured high-quality marijuana from Shillong,” said the DCP, flanked by additional DCP Shakti Mohan Avasthy and ACP Rajneesh Verma.

Sharing details of recovery from the accused, the police said they have seized 15 kg of marijuana procured from Shillong and Udaipur, 30 gm of cocaine, 20 gm of MDMA (pills), 150 gm of hashish and 65 gm of foreign-origin marijuana.

“The narcotics recovered is valued around Rs 30 lakh,” Chander said.

The police said they have seized two electronic weighing machines, 10 mobile phones, Rs 3,200 cash, besides impounding an SUV and two motorcycles – all of which were used for drugs supply by the accused.

Those arrested have been identified as Akshay Kumar (32), Rajan Singh (20), Darshan Jain (21), Aditya Kumar (21), Satendra Srivastava (21), Sagar Bajaj (22), Anit Som (22), Apoorva Saxena (28) and Narendra Kumar (28), the police said.

DCP Chander said the Noida police had developed a link based in Rajasthan, which is Narendra Kumar, who supplied drugs to other accused.

The officer said apart from those arrested, three more people's role has come to light. They have been identified and would be arrested soon, he said.

Among those absconding is a man of African-origin but currently residing in Delhi, Chander added.

He said the police are contacting educational institutions and sharing information with them while also developing the linkages of the drug supply racket.

During questioning, accused Anit Som told the police that he had purchased a few packets of cannabis from a gang which was busted recently in Greater Noida, he said.

According to police, accused Akshay Kumar's wife works in Taiwan and he would procure cocaine through her.

He would visit Taiwan and return with OG drug, which was then sold here for a rate as high as Rs 10,000 per gm, the police added.

“The police are further exploring the two links of drug procurement -- one from Taiwan and the other from Nigeria -- which have come to light during the initial probe in the case,” DCP Chander said.

An FIR has been lodged in the case under provisions of the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the police said, adding further legal proceedings are being carried out.