In a major crackdown, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two wanted interstate drug traffickers who were allegedly involved in supplying narcotics to pubs, hotels, and parties in Maharashtra.
The arrested accused have been identified as Bhavesh Chauhan alias Lalu and Shoaib Ashraf Pathan alias Batla. Both were absconding in connection with a case registered under the NDPS Act in the Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar region near Mumbai.
According to officials, the STF carried out the operation on March 23, 2026, following inputs from the Maharashtra Police. The duo was apprehended around 6 pm from a tempo stand near Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow.
Police sources revealed that the accused were wanted in a case registered at Naigaon Police Station (Mira-Bhayander) under serious sections of the NDPS Act. A team from Maharashtra Police had reached Lucknow and sought assistance from the STF, after which a joint operation led to their arrest.
During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had been involved in interstate drug trafficking for the past 4–5 years. They, along with their associates, allegedly manufactured brown sugar using chemicals available in the market and supplied it to pubs, hotels, and private parties in Mumbai.
The accused further disclosed that after a major drug consignment was seized in the Vasai-Virar area on February 5, 2026, they fled Mumbai and were planning to escape to Nepal via Lucknow.
Police also stated that Bhavesh Chauhan has a long criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him in the Vasai-Virar region, including attempt to murder, assault, rioting, and offences under the NDPS Act.
Further legal proceedings against the accused are currently underway at Naigaon Police Station in the Vasai-Virar (Mira-Bhayander) area. Meanwhile, police have launched a search for other members of the drug trafficking network.