MUMBAI, January 28: The Esplanade Court today attached three properties of notorious drug trafficker Iqbal Mirchi following an application filed by the anti-narcotics cell of Mumbai police. All three are prime properties: Hotel Minaz at Juhu, three buildings at Worli sea-face, and a double flat at Juhu Tara Road, police said.Sources said police had filed cases against Mirchi alias Iqbal Mohammed Memon in 1993 and 1994 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act after he was found to be running a drug syndicate in the city and supplying brown sugar and mandrax to drug peddlers. He was also wanted for the murder of one Amar Survarna, police said.The state government passed a detention order against him in December '94, and when he fled India to evade arrest, he was declared a proclaimed offender in January '95. Later, he was again booked by anti-narcotics cell in two other cases under the NDPS Act, sources said. Therefore, police filed an application that the three properties owned by Mirchibe attached by court.In its application, police had said that since Mirchi is a proclaimed offender, no applilcation can be entertained on his behalf unless he surrenders. Agreeing with this argument, the court said Mirchi will first have to surrender and then apply for discharge on any ground. The court further said there's nothing to substantiate Mirchi's apprehension that he may be eliminated by police in a fake encounter if he surrenders, sources said.The court also verified documents which showed that the three properties belonged to Mirchi, and chief metropolitan magistrate T V Nalawade ordered that they be attached through the collector.Deputy police commissioner of anti-narcotics cell, Dilip Srirao, said this is a major victory for police, who have worked hard to strike at the financial base of the international drug trafficker. Police will spare no effort to act against Mirchi, he added.
