Mumbai Crime: NCB arrests don Karim Lala’s kin, unearths drug factory

Chinku Pathan, DJ Rahul Verma and Arif Bhujwala (From left to right). Pic/ Narcotics Control Bureau

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan alias Chinku Chokobar, grandson of former underworld don late Karim Lala. Chinku is accused of supplying drugs and has links in Dubai.

According to the anti-drug agency, Chinku had multiple mobile phones and used one sim card only for a day. He is associated with many people in Dubai and many Dubai phone numbers were found on his mobile phone. The NCB is verifying those numbers. The agency seized 52 grams of mephedrone, 2.9 grams of heroin and a pistol from his possession.

When NCB reached Chinku's house, he tried to flush drugs down the toilet but was caught red-handed. The NCB also raided Chinku's office. According to the agency, about 15 to 20 CCTVs have been installed in his office and there is a biometric machine at the entrance. NCB sources said that about 25 to 30 drug peddlers used to work for Chinku and their thumb impression has been saved in the biometric machine.

During Chinku's interrogation, his partner Arif Bhujwala's name came up. On Wednesday, an NCB team went to Noor Manzil building in Dongri to catch Arif, however, he escaped. Arif had set up a lab on the fourth floor of Noor Manzil building to make drugs. The agency recovered 12-kg drugs, some chemicals, Rs 2.18 crore cash, keys of some expensive vehicles and a revolver from there.

NCB said he was operating the lab for the last 5 years. "The seized revolvers will be sent to the forensic lab," said NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede.

Arif and Chinku were together running a drugs network. They used to supply drugs abroad by putting them in food item packets and named them sugar and salt. The NCB found some packets from Arif's lab with sugar written on them. The NCB also found a diary which has all the accounts of which peddler was given how much drugs.

Another name that came up during Chinku's interrogation was of DJ Rahul Verma, who was arrested from Bhiwandi. According to NCB, Rahul has been in touch with Chinku for the past few years and was selling mephedrone.

According to NCB sources, Arif Bhujwala has network in Dubai and is connected to international drug dealer Kailash Rajput, who lives abroad. Kailash Rajput is also associated with Dawood Ibrahim's D Company in the drugs business. He has been declared as a fugitive by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Mumbai police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC).

Sameer Wankhede told Mid-day, "The strings of this drugs racket are connected to Dubai and Middle East. This racket supplies drugs there. We are investigating further."