Ahead of the upcoming municipal elections and the New Year celebrations, the Mumbai Police have intensified their crackdown on narcotics. In a major operation, the Pydhonie Police seized heroin worth Rs 36.72 crore from South Mumbai and arrested nine drug peddlers, including three women, exposing a large drug supply network.
On December 16, the Pydhonie Police detained Jalaram Natvar Thakkar (37) and Wasim Majruddin Saiyed (27) on P. D’Mello Road in the Masjid Bunder area. During a search, police recovered 326.22 grams of heroin from their possession, following which a case was registered under the NDPS Act.
Further investigation revealed that the heroin had been supplied through Rubina Mohammed Saiyed Khan (30). Subsequent inquiries led the police to identify Shabnam Sheikh as the owner of the consignment. Shabnam, who was absconding, was arrested from Ajmer in Rajasthan. Muskan Samarul Sheikh (19), who had supplied the drugs to Shabnam, was also nabbed from the Masjid Bunder area.
During the interrogation of Muskan, police identified Mehrban Ali as the main supplier in the racket. Acting on this lead, the police laid a trap and arrested Abdul Qadir Sheikh on December 24, seizing heroin worth Rs 1.38 crore from him.
The investigation further led the police to Oshiwara’s Anand Nagar area, where a raid resulted in the arrest of Nawazis Ghalib Khan, Sariq Mohammed Salim Salmani and Samad Ghalib Khan. The trio was caught red-handed while packing paper sachets of heroin. From the spot, heroin worth Rs 33.86 crore was seized.
In total, the police have recovered 8.832 kg of heroin, cash amounting to Rs 8.26 lakh, a car worth Rs 10 lakh and 12 mobile phones, taking the total value of the seized contraband and assets to Rs 36.72 crore.
The operation was carried out by the Pydhonie Police team under the guidance of Zone-2 Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijaykant Sagar and Assistant Commissioner of Police Renuka Buwa. Police have stated that the investigation into the interstate drug racket is ongoing and further arrests are likely.