Maharashtra Police Seize Heroin Valued at Rs 6.68 Crore in Thane and Liquor Worth Rs 9.38 Lakh in Palghar

Maharashtra Police conducted two significant intelligence-based actions in Palghar and Thane districts, leading to the recovery of high-value illegal goods, according to PTI. In Palghar, authorities uncovered a large consignment of illicit liquor concealed within a vehicle that was purportedly carrying pharmaceutical supplies. In a separate crackdown in Thane, the crime branch arrested an autorickshaw driver and seized a substantial quantity of heroin valued at several crores. Both operations were carried out following specific tip-offs, highlighting focused surveillance and coordinated policing efforts aimed at curbing smuggling and narcotics trafficking across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

In Palghar’s Talasari area, police intercepted a tempo travelling along the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway after receiving prior information about suspicious movement. During a thorough inspection, officers found liquor worth Rs 9.38 lakh hidden amid cartons of medicines, Deputy Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh said. The accused driver, identified as 41-year-old Shivendrakumar Lalbabu Thakur, claimed he was transporting medicines for a pharmaceutical firm and even produced related documents. However, further checking revealed the concealed liquor. A case was registered under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, and investigations are ongoing to trace the supply chain and possible links to organised smuggling.

In another operation in Thane, the Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Crime Branch arrested 50-year-old autorickshaw driver Fardin Gulzar Mulla for allegedly possessing a large quantity of heroin. Acting on a tip-off, police detained him on Ghodbunder Road on the night of February 1, Deputy Commissioner of Police Amarsingh Jadhav stated. A search led to the recovery of 2.288 kilograms of heroin, estimated to be worth Rs 6.68 crore. Mulla has been booked under the NDPS Act, while investigators are working to identify the drug source, intended recipients, and wider trafficking network involved.