Thane: Nigerian man wanted in drugs case found dead in forest

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A Nigerian man, wanted in connection with a drugs case, was found dead after a police chase in a forest of Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Sunday.

The deceased, Joe Izzikil, had disappeared into the forest near Naglabunder while being chased by a police team on Friday morning, an official from the city police said.

Izzikil was later found lying on a pipe after a fall near a deserted house in the forest. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead, he said.

Izzikil, a resident of Nallasopara, had several cases of drug possession registered against him, and his wife had also been arrested by the police in neighbouring Mumbai, the official said.

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The anti-narcotics cell (ANC) had earlier arrested one Sandeep Maurya, a resident of Santacruz, with 80 gm of mephedrone (MD) powder, an official from the Thane crime branch said.

During the probe, Maurya named two Nigerian nationals as his suppliers. Accordingly, the ANC asked Maurya to ask the duo to bring the contraband and laid a trap around 7.30 am in Naglabunder, the official said.

While the police managed to apprehend one of the men, Izzikil ran into the forest and disappeared, he said.

An accidental death report was registered with the Kasarwadavali police station, and the body was sent for post-mortem, the official said.

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