Inter-state drug trafficking racket busted, nine held

An inter-state drug trafficking racket was busted in Mumbai and nine alleged suppliers were arrested, with drugs worth ₹72 lakh seized.

MUMBAI: An inter-state drug trafficking racket was busted and nine alleged suppliers were arrested by the crime branch in Mulund on Wednesday. The police also seized drugs — mephedrone, charas and hashish — worth around ₹72 lakh from the accused.

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Acting on a tip off, the officials said that the accused, who were travelling in two cars, were stopped at Mulund check post. On searching the vehicles, the police seized 350 grams of mephedrone, 45 grams of hashish and ₹17 lakh in cash. The police also seized two four-wheelers and a bike from the accused.

The police said that they have also recovered two Aadhaar cards from one of the accused, who had allegedly obtained it in two different names.

The arrested accused are identified as Sahil Ramjan Ali Khan alias Massa, 27, Mohammed Ajmal Kasam Shaikh, 45, Shamsuddin Niyazuddin Shah, 22, Imran Aslam Pathan, 37, Mohammad Taufique Shaukat Ali Mansuri, 27, Mohammad Ismile Salim Siddique, 24, Sarfaraj Shabbir Ali Khan alias Golden Bhura, 36, Sana Shabbir Ali Khan alias Priyanka Ashok Karkaur, 24, and Raees Amin Qureshi.

Shaikh and Bhura are allegedly the masterminds behind the drug syndicate, said Ravindra Salunkhe, police inspector of unit 6.

The Unit 6 of Mumbai police crime branch had received information that a group of drug suppliers was roaming in the city and distributing contraband material procured from outside the state to peddlers. Based on the inputs, the police laid a trap and intercepted two vehicles at Mulund check post.

The police found four suspects travelling in a car and two in the other vehicle. Mephedrone and hashish were allegedly seized from the accused. The search carried out at a premises in Chembur linked to the accused yielded some more contraband material and ₹17 lakh in cash, said a police officer.

In all, the police have seized three vehicles worth ₹26.60 lakh and 351 grams of Mephedrone worth ₹70 lakh and 45 grams of Hashish worth ₹1.35 lakhs and 10 phones worth ₹3.50 lakh from the accused.

The accused, who are allegedly distributors of drugs, have been operating for several years and use a network of peddlers in different areas in the western and eastern suburbs to supply drugs to the customers, said Raj Tilak Roshan, deputy commissioner of police, crime branch.

During their interrogation, police learnt that three cases of assault, drug trafficking and attempt to murder were registered against Sahil Ramjan Ali Khan alias Massa in Mumbai while four cases were registered Mohammad Ajmal Kasam Shaikh in Vinoba Bhave Nagar and Mahim police stations.

The police also learnt that mulitple cases were registered against Sarfaraj Shabbir Ali Khan alias Golden Bhura — two drug-related cases with the Anti-Narcotics Cell and three assault cases with Kurla police station.