Mumbai: Customs Department Swooped In And Collard Two Accused In Proscribed Drug Order Case

Mumbai, 23rd October 2023: Yesterday, the customs department arrested two people from Mumbai on charges of ordering cannabis from the US. Authorities seized 115 gram high-quality cannabis from the accused, which was priced at approximately Rs 10 lakh in the international market.

The arrested individuals are identified as Yash Kalani (28) and Suketu Talekar (46). Both are residents of the Bandra area of Mumbai. Talekar runs a small restaurant in the Bandra area. As per the report, the customs department got the tip-off about the import of proscribed marijuana in a parcel from abroad. Accordingly, they were vigilant of any suspicious activities in the state.

Yesterday, one of the officials intercepted a package at the Azad Nagar post office and, upon examination, discovered that it contained illegal drugs. When the official inquired about the package with a postal employee, they provided details about the customer, including their address.

Following that, officials set a trap and posed as counterfeit delivery personnel at the customer’s location. Once their suspicions were confirmed, the authorities promptly seized the alleged perpetrators and placed them under police custody. Sources said that the Mumbai Police had already registered a case against perpetrators in a drug-related case. In 2020, the anti-narcotics squad registered a case in connection with 9 kg of ganja, estimating its value at Rs 1 crore and 62 lakh then.

Police further informed that the accused ordered this ganja from the US through courier, and the payment was done with a cryptocurrency named Bitcoin. As per the available data, cases of online drug purchases have increased manifold compared to earlier ones. Furthermore, the accused are now employing modern technologies such as the use of cryptocurrencies for payment and the accessibility of the dark net, which further aggrandizes the woes of authorities in nullifying their actions.