Mechanical engineer among 3 held; drugs worth ₹1.5 crore seized

While the engineer was nabbed on January 20, the other two – identified as Hafiz Ateeq Shaikh alias Babu and Samiulla Khan – were nabbed on January 21.

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), in two separate cases, arrested three accused, including a mechanical engineer, and seized 325 grams of heroin and 116 grams of mephedrone worth ₹1.5 crore in total.

Mechanical engineer among 3 held; drugs worth ₹1.5 crore seized

While the engineer was nabbed on January 20, the other two – identified as Hafiz Ateeq Shaikh alias Babu and Samiulla Khan – were nabbed on January 21. Police said one suspect is involved in nine cases of assault, arms act and MCOCA and was externed from the city for two years.

On January 20, a team from the Kandivali ANC unit was patrolling in the Santacruz (East) area and noticed a person was carrying a black colour plastic bag that seemed suspicious. Police then followed him and when the accused saw the police vehicle behind him, he started running. The police chased and nabbed him near Vakola bridge. While frisking, police found 275 grams of heroin in his possession, said deputy commissioner of police Prakash Jadhav of the ANC.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that he was a mechanical engineer. During the lockdown, he lost his job and started driving for a cab aggregator. He came in contact with a passenger who was part of the drug syndicate. He also started procuring drugs from Vasai-based suppliers and selling them in Mumbai, added Jadhav.

During a search at his residence, police found 50 grams of heroin and ₹4.60 lakh in cash. The seized contraband is worth ₹1.25 crore, said an ANC official. The accused is a native of Ranchi in Jharkhand and further investigation is going on.

In the second case, the Worli unit arrested Shaikh, 27, and Khan, 30 – both residents of the Govandi area. While patrolling near the dumping wala compound area in Govandi, an ANC official saw Shaikh’s suspicious movement. Police intercepted him and found 56 grams of mephedrone in his possession. During interrogation, he confessed that Khan supplied MD to him.

Police then arrested Khan near Tiger fitness club on 90 feet road in the Shivaji Nagar area and recovered 60 grams of MD from him. A total of 116 grams of mephedrone was seized from both the accused worth ₹23.20 lakh, said an ANC official.

During interrogation, it was learnt that Khan is notorious in the area and has a total of nine cases, including assaults, arms act, MCOCA and was externed for two years from the city, added the official.