Mumbai: The MIDC police have busted an international drug-smuggling gang allegedly involved in supplying various drugs to countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia. The police arrested two men after allegedly recovering 12 kg and 390 grams of ketamine worth Rs 37.17 crore from their luggage near the Airport Metro Station in Andheri East during the intervening night of September 24 and 25. The accused had allegedly concealed the drugs in aluminium farsan and chiwda packets and were attempting to send them to Thailand.
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The accused have been identified as Adnan Ahmed Niyaz Ahmed Siddiqui, 35, a resident of Mazgaon East and a BA graduate, and Saud Mushtaq Maniyar, 29, a resident of Girgaon who studied up to Class 10.
According to the police, the duo was spotted moving suspiciously with luggage on the footpath towards Sakinaka along Andheri-Kurla Road at around 11pm on September 25. When the patrolling team approached them, the accused allegedly attempted to flee but were caught after a chase.
Datta Nalawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police, West Region III, said, “We seized 12 kg and 390 grams of ketamine, a psychotropic substance, valued at Rs 37.17 crore, from the accused. They had concealed the ketamine in various food-item packets and were attempting to send it to Thailand. We arrested two accused, who are members of a gang active in drug trafficking. They would hand over the drugs to carriers, who would then deliver them in Thailand.”
“The gang had been active for the past several months. The members used food-item packets because they are made of aluminium plastic, which makes it difficult for scanning authorities to detect the substance,” he added.
The police said the accused supplied ketamine to carriers who travelled by air to other countries. After reaching their destination, the carriers allegedly handed over the drugs to other members of the gang near the airport and returned to India within two days. This was allegedly the gang’s modus operandi.
According to the police, around six months ago, both accused travelled to Thailand, where they came in contact with members of the gang and subsequently started working for them.
A police officer said the gang primarily recruited women as carriers. The gang allegedly obtained tourists’ details from travel companies and contacted potential carriers. The accused allegedly arranged visas for them and told them that they would be required to bring back gold while returning to India. However, after the carriers reached the destination, the gang allegedly gave them various reasons for not bringing back gold.
The police said the gang mainly sent the ketamine through air cargo, and carriers were paid around Rs 1 lakh for transporting the drugs abroad. The police have so far identified seven people and arrested two of them.
The police team was patrolling near the Airport Metro Station towards Sakinaka on Andheri-Kurla Road when they noticed the duo. A search of Siddiqui’s olive-green bag allegedly led to the recovery of a transparent zip-lock bag containing 6 kg and 280 grams of white powder. Two mobile phones were also seized from him.
Similarly, 6 kg and 110 grams of white crystalline powder was allegedly recovered from Maniyar’s mint-green bag. His mobile phone was also seized, a MIDC police officer said.
DCP Nalawade supervised the operation, which was led by Senior Inspector Ghanshyam Nair. The seized substances were subsequently examined by Assistant Chemical Analyst Himanshu Khadekar, who described them as suspected drugs. The forensic team’s report and the strong odour of the substance indicated that it was likely ketamine.
The entire search and seizure process was conducted through the e-witness system and videographed. The seized substances and luggage were sealed as exhibits in the presence of panch witnesses.
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