The Narcotics Control Bureau investigating the cruise ship drug bust case in Mumbai arrested a Nigerian national from Goregaon Saturday and allegedly seized an intermediate quantity of cocaine from him. This is the 20th arrest, including two Nigerian nationals, in the case. NCB officials mounted surveillance in front of Westin Gate, Oberoi Garden City at International Business Park, Yashodham and intercepted a Nigerian national identified as Okaro Ouzama. The drugs were allegedly found on him. Ouzama’s name had cropped up while questioning another accused who was arrested in the case.
Meanwhile, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) cleared that none of the two witnesses, KP Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali, were known to the agency prior to October 2, when the Mumbai cruise was raided. Claims of Kiran P Gosavi and Manish Bhanushali were at the NCB office the same night raids were conducted on the cruise ship were made By NCP leader Nawab Malik on social media in a video that went viral.
Kiran Gosavi was also seen in a viral selfie with Aryan Khan clicked at the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal last Sunday before the accused’s arrest.
NCB, in a press release on Saturday, said that a total of nine witnesses were involved in the whole operation and Bhanushali and Gosavi were among them. Neither of these two independent witnesses was known to NCB earlier.
It further stated, “As per due procedure established by the law of land — independent public witnesses are mandatorily required to be present during any seizure operations. NCB strongly adheres to it and involves at least 2 independent witnesses in all its seizure operations. As the operations are conducted on a real-time basis, so field verification of independent witnesses is not possible as the main focus is on drug recovery.”
A team from NCB Mumbai mounted surveillance in front of Westin Gate, Oberoi Garden city, International Business Park, Yashodham, Goregaon, Mumbai and intercepted one Nigerian national, namely Okaro Ouzama along with an intermediate quantity of cocaine, stated NCB’s latest press release on Sunday.
“The procedure has been and will continue to be professionally and legally transparent and unbiased as all the suspect/accused persons have been treated at par and in accordance with law,” maintained the agency.
