Cop among 5 detained with MDMA drugs in Ahmedabad

According to officials of Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), a Maruti Alto car was intercepted on Saturday night at a toll plaza on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway in which three persons were travelling from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

Five persons, including an assistant sub-inspector with the Ahmedabad Police and a former MLA candidate, were detained by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Sunday for allegedly smuggling Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) drugs worth Rs 1 crore.

According to officials of Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), a Maruti Alto car was intercepted on Saturday night at a toll plaza on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway in which three persons were travelling from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

Upon checking the car, MDMA drug weighing 995 grams worth Rs 1 crore was found along with a police uniform, police belt, badge, police cap, socks and shoes from the accused.

https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png

The car belonged to 50-year-old Firoz Khan Nagori, a resident of Jamalpur in Ahmedabad, who is posted as an ASI with Danilimda Police station. According to police, Nagori was transporting the drug with two others — Mahmad Aarif alias Munno Jamluddin Kazi (48) and Imran Padhiyar (28), both residents of Jamalpur in Ahmedabad.

After questioning the three accused, the Crime Branch also detained Shahzad Tezabwala and Imran Ajmeri, both residents of Bamasa in Ahmedabad, who allegedly purchased the drugs in Mumbai and handed it over to the police officer to transport it. Both Tezabwala and Ajmeri were arrested by the Crime Branch in 2019 with 1.5 kg of MDMA drugs and the duo were out on interim bail. Tezabwala had also unsuccessfully contested in the 2017 Assembly elections.

BV Gohil, Assistant Commissioner of Police, DCB, Ahmedabad said, ” We received a tip-off that two accused, Shahzad Tezabwala and Imran Ajmeri, have jumped interim bail and gone to Mumbai, purchased MDMA drugs and handed it over to three persons who will be transporting it in a car.”

“A white Maruti Alto car was intercepted at the Toll plaza on Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway and we found the drugs beneath the seat. Among the three accused held on spot is ASI Firoz Nagori with Danilimda police station, who acted as a courier for the racket. On September 11, the three persons had gone to Mumbai and met Tezabwala and Ajmeri at Sun Hotel near VT Station in Mumbai. Tezabwala used his connections to procure drugs and handed it over to Nagori to transport it to Ahmedabad. In order to avoid the car being stopped in Maharashtra, Nagori wore his Gujarat police uniform and exited the Sun Hotel and travelled all the distance in his uniform. After entering the Ahmedabad-Vadodara expressway, Nagori quickly changed into civilian clothing on the roadside, ” Gohil added.

According to police, Nagori has been in police service since 1991 and he was currently posted in the ‘SHE’ team of Danilimda PS.

“Nagori had requested for leave for September 10 but he cancelled it later on. He later went absent on duty from September 11 and travelled to Mumbai. He has been booked under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and we will take strict departmental action against him. He has revealed that he got in touch with Ajmeri around one-and-a half years ago and he contacted Tezabwala last year when he was nabbed with drugs last year. Tezabwala asked Nagori to help him with his drug racket business. We are finding how many times he has transported drugs for the racket in the police uniform,” said Gohil.