Bollywood assistant producer, 2 others held in Goa with drugs

Crime Branch of the Goa Police on Sunday arrested three persons including an assistant producer from the Mumbai film industry and seized 85 grams of MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) pills worth Rs 8.5 lakh from their possession.

"Acting on specific information of illegal drugs being trafficked to Goa for the purpose of consumption on New Year, a team of Crime Branch conducted a search of three suspected persons, their room and belongings at Goa International Centre and found the seized contraband concealed inside their vehicle and in their room," Superintendent of Police, Crime branch Goa Shobhit Saxena said.

The crime branch also seized a high-end car with the registration number of Telangana during the raid in which the accused travelled to Goa.

"Among the arrested, Ayan Ali Khan (42) is a businessman from Hyderabad.

The car they drove in was of Ayan.

The other two accused, Valentine Pereira (35) and Strome Fernandes (27) are residents of Bandra in Mumbai.

Valentine Pereira had worked as an assistant producer in several Bollywood movies," added Saxena.

The senior police official further said there is zero-tolerance against illicit drug trafficking.

The investigation is underway to track the sources from where the accused procured the drugs.

ANI