NCB arrests Bollywood makeup artist Suraj Godambe; seizes cocaine

Mumbai, December 10

The Narcotics Control Bureau on Thursday arrested Bollywood makeup artist and hairstylist Suraj Godambe and another person after seizing "small quantity" of cocaine from their possession, an official said.

The Mumbai zonal unit of the NCB, which is investigating the alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus, conducted a raid at Meera Tower in Oshiwara area of suburban Andheri on Wednesday.

Godambe and an auto-rickshaw driver, identified as Lalchandra Yadav, were subsequently arrested on Thursday, the NCB official said.

The NCB team seized 16 drug packets weighing 17.6 gm from their possession, he said, adding that the packets contained 11 gm of cocaine.

Godambe is a popular makeup artist and hairstylist and has worked for big production houses, he said.

"Godambe is the receiver of drugs in this case, while Yadav is the supplier," the official said.

Yadav used to supply cocaine on behalf of a "Nigerian syndicate", he said.

After questioning, both were placed under arrest on Thursday morning, the official said, adding that they were produced before a Mumbai court which remanded them in NCB's custody till December 16.

The NCB has been conducting searches in Mumbai since Tuesday and has arrested two people, including drug peddler Rigel Mahakal, in connection with a drugs case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

The probe agency seized charas worth Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 13.51 lakh in cash during the searches, he said.

Based on WhatsApp chats involving drugs, the NCB has been probing the alleged use of drugs in some quarters of Bollywood after the death of Rajput in June this year.

The agency had earlier arrested Rajput's gilrfriend, actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty, some staff members of Rajput and a few others under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Rhea Chakraborty, her brother, and some other accused were later granted bail. PTI