07 May,2026 08:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The police said that the operation went on for around a month to dismantle the entire racket. Pic/Special Arrangement
The Mira-Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police on Thursday said that it arrested ten persons, including two women, after busting a major mephedrone (MD) drug trafficking racket operating in Mira Road and Mumbai, officials said.
According to the police, the action was carried out by the MBVV Crime Branch, Unit 4, following an investigation into a narcotics case registered at Naya Nagar Police Station in Thane district of Maharashtra.
The police said that the operation went on for around a month to dismantle the entire racket.
It said that the probe initially began on April 4 2026 after officers raided a flat at Cheda Adarsh Building in Naya Nagar, Mira Road East. During the search, police seized 1 kilogram and 324 grams of MD drugs valued at Rs 2.66 crore from the residence of a woman identified as Firdos Arbaz Qureshi.
Investigators said that the seized narcotics allegedly belonged to her husband, Arbaz Vakil Qureshi. Following the recovery, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
During further investigation, police arrested several accused from different areas of Mumbai, Mira Road and Gujarat for their alleged involvement in the drug supply network.
Police stated that a total of 6 kilograms and 773 grams of MD drugs worth approximately Rs 13.61 crore have been recovered so far during the investigation.
The arrested accused include residents from Mira Road, Jogeshwari, Oshiwara, Byculla and Rajkot in Gujarat. Officials believe the gang was involved in the commercial purchase and sale of narcotic substances.
The were identified as Firdos Arbaz Qureshi, Arbaz Vakil Qureshi, Moiz Javed Khan, Arman Ali Kalam Ali Rain, Sunil Kamal Yadav, Mohammad Wasim Yusuf Sheikh, Irfan Anwar Kudiya, Arafat Shamsuddin Ansari, Khalda Arafat Ansari and Akash Satyaram Yadav.
The entire operation was carried out under the guidance of senior police officials including Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik, Additional Commissioner Dattatray Shinde, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Doifode and Assistant Commissioner Madan Ballal.
The investigation and arrests were executed by officers and staff of Crime Branch Unit 4 along with assistance from the Cyber Cell team.
Police said further investigations were underway to identify additional links, if any, in the narcotics network and trace the source of the seized drugs.
