KOLKATA: In the first-ever conviction of an international drug racket that supplied drugs to rave parties organized on the outskirts of the city, an Alipore court on Wednesday sentenced a British
national, identified as 55-year-old Donald Wildsar Maitland, to five years of imprisonment and a fine
of Rs 15,000.
Police had seized around 322 gm of cocaine from a hotel in Bishnupur in South 24-Parganas at the instance of the accused on July 6 in 2012.
Maitland was held guilty under Section 21 (B) of the NDPS Act.
More importantly, investigation has thrown up names of two industrialists — one from New Alipore and the other from Lord Sinha Road — as the main organizers of rave parties but cops are yet to trace any evidence against them.
According to public prosecutor Swapan Kumar Dey, Kolkata-based industrialist Pratyush Chowdhury was released for lack of sufficient evidence and the trial of the third accused, Nepalese citizen Ang Serin Wbethin, was still underway. It was the latter’s arrest from near the Tangra slaughter house on July 7 three years ago that led cops to set a trap and nab Maitland. He was found carrying 100 gm of fine-quality cocaine. Maitland then led cops to the Bishnupur hotel where another 222 gm of cocaine was seized. Together, the entire consignment was said to cost around Rs 5 crore in the international market.
Police, however, said this conviction was not a one-off case. On Wednesday itself, cops claimed to have arrested hashish trader Sahabuddin. Operating from Ghutiari Sharif, he and his men were found transporting 850 gm of hashish to a party in south Kolkata. Sahabuddin — originally from Taltala area — is said to have learnt his trick from Afghan dealers. It was the arrest of his conduit Dilip Sahu that led the police to him.
Police also arrested 58 people after a sex racket was busted on Raja Basanta Roy Road in Tollygunge on Wednesday. “We are investigating if a parallel drug racket is working here as well,” said an officer.
“We have been able to trace the route through which banned psychotropic substances are smuggled into Kolkata via Goa and Mumbai,” said a narcotics official. But he rued that their “high-flying” sources who helped them track cocaine and rave parties have all but dried up.
A senior officer said they had identified around 15-20 people who have been organizing rave parties in and around the city. The racket was initially run by a Nigerian based in Goa. Five drug dealers were also arrested from the city in 2012 and drugs seized were from them. But now, most of them are out on bail.