11 arrested for consuming cocaine at party in Cuffe Parade

Eleven persons, including four women, were arrested and a small quantity of cocaine was seized from them during a raid at an apartment in south Mumbai's Colaba area on Sunday, police said.

"The raid was carried out around 0430 hrs acting on a tip off that drugs was being consumed in a party at an apartment in Nauji Mansion of Colaba area," an official from the Anti-Narcotics Cell, said. The apartment is owned by trader Ranjit Batla and the six other men caught were also traders, he said. "We recovered two grams of cocaine and five grams of hashish at the residence and all accused were booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Prevention) Act," the official said. Blood and urine samples of the arrested persons were sent for forensic tests and further action would be taken on the basis of its results, he said.

The accused were produced before a magistrates court which granted them bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 5,000 and a surety of the same amount. "We contended that the arrested persons could be granted bail since the quantity of cocaine and other narcotics seized was very low," Ayaz Khan, defence counsel, said. Police officials said they will be investigating the source of the narcotics.