Mumbai: CBI Brings Back Key Accused Kubbawala Mustafa from UAE in ₹256 Crore Drug Racket Case

In a major breakthrough in the ₹256 crore mephedrone (MD) drug case, the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) Interpol division has successfully extradited fugitive accused Kubbawala Mustafa from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to India. The accused was wanted in connection with a mephedrone manufacturing unit busted last year in Solapur.

Following a Red Corner Notice issued against him, Mustafa was apprehended in Abu Dhabi. The arrest was made possible through the coordinated efforts of CBI’s International Police Cooperation Division and the National Central Bureau (NCB) of Abu Dhabi.

Mustafa was brought to Mumbai on Friday via a flight from Dubai. A four-member team from the Mumbai Police had travelled to the UAE to complete the extradition process. The breakthrough came after persistent follow-up through Interpol, which helped trace the accused's location in the UAE.

The investigation began on 15 February 2024 when Unit 7 of the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a woman from the Kurla area with 641 grams of mephedrone. Based on her inputs, officials raided Mira Road and seized another three kilograms of the synthetic drug.

Further interrogation led the police to a large-scale drug manufacturing unit located in a field in Irali village of Kavathe Mahankal taluka in Sangli district. In the subsequent raid, the police seized a staggering 126 kilograms of mephedrone. Eleven accused have been arrested in the case so far, including three from Gujarat. Investigations revealed that Kubbawala Mustafa was allegedly operating the factory.

As per crime branch officials, the accused had fled abroad, prompting Mumbai Police to request Interpol intervention. A Red Corner Notice was issued against Mustafa on 25 November 2024.

Acting on this, the NCB in Abu Dhabi apprehended him on 19 June 2025. Subsequently, the Mumbai Police, through the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, formally requested his extradition from the UAE. He was finally brought back to Mumbai on Friday.

A charge sheet has already been filed against Kubbawala Mustafa, and a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued earlier. The Interpol Red Corner Notice was circulated among law enforcement agencies across multiple countries to facilitate his capture. According to the CBI, over 100 such fugitives have been successfully brought back to India in recent years through international cooperation.