PANJIM: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is exploring the possibility of invoking a rarely-used stringent law for preventive detention of two repeat offenders, booked in the recent drug-related offences.
Notorious Nigerian drug supplier Ugochukwu Solomon Ubabuko and absconding history-sheeter Prasad Walke could be the first cases of detention under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, in Goa.
NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhade said his team is “exploring the possibility” to detain Ubabuku and Walke under the PIT-NDPS Act. Simultaneously, the federal anti-narcotics agency is also contemplating to seize properties of the accused including another alleged major drug supplier Hemant Sah alias Maharaj whose links in the Bollywood industry surfaced following death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput last June.
“We are exploring the possibility of preventive detention for a stipulated period of time to prevent such offenders repeating the crime,” Wankhade told Herald as he further explained, “We have noticed that Ubabuku and Walke were involved in the same crime in the past as well. As such, we are looking into the feasibility of invoking PIT-NDPS Act so that they remain behind bars.”
While Ubabuku and Sah are currently in judicial custody, NCB – bracing up for more drug raids – is also on a look out for Walke. Besides, NCB has also launched a parallel investigation to unearth details of properties procured by them and another.
“Any property purchased through drug trade is seized. In the present case, we are investigating investments made by these persons, properties they own, also benami properties they hold, etc. There will be an impact (following this NCB action)… the property that gets generated (through drug trade) is being neutralised,” Wankhade said.
The Zonal Director, who headed the Bollywood-related drugs case leading to the questioning of numerous stars and arrests of a few besides raids, stated that Sah-owned shack at Morjim Buena Vida will be probed to look into the possibility it being a “drugs distribution centre”.
“We are suspecting the shack could be a distribution centre for drugs but it will be subject to collaboration of evidence,” he added.
Three persons, Ubabuko, Sah and a Congo national John Infinity alias David were arrested during a series of raids pan-Goa on March 7-8 while they were found in possession of a cocktail of drugs. The Nigerian, also booked for creating a ruckus on MH Porvorim way back in 2013, was also booked in a drug offence in Hyderabad in August 2018 and Walke is currently on bail in another case registered by the NCB around 3 years ago.
