In a significant crackdown on international drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai Zonal Unit has seized high-grade narcotics worth approximately Rs 200 crore, dismantling a major syndicate operating across multiple countries. The operation led to the confiscation of 11.54 kg of high-quality cocaine, 4.9 kg of hybrid hydroponic marijuana, and 5.5 kg of cannabis gummies, along with Rs 1.6 lakh in cash. The syndicate’s operations were traced through intelligence gathered from a prior seizure of 200 grams of cocaine in January. Acting on these leads, NCB officials conducted raids in Navi Mumbai on January 31, uncovering the concealed contraband. Investigations revealed that the network has strong international ties, with drugs being sourced from the US and trafficked to India. “The smuggling route involved courier services, small cargo shipments, and human carriers. A significant breakthrough came when NCB intercepted a parcel at an international courier agency in Mumbai, which was en route to Australia. The backtracking of this consignment led to the larger seizure in Navi Mumbai,” an NCB officer said. Officials further stated that the syndicate members operated under pseudonyms and maintained anonymity, making their identification challenging. So far, four individuals have been arrested, and authorities are actively investigating links to other global operatives. “We are carrying out investigations to dismantle the entire network and track its financial and logistical operations,” said NCB Zonal Director Amit Ghawate. FourNo. of people arrested so far
08 February,2025 08:22 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA 22-year-old man, Manoj Sabhajeet Bind, a resident of Yadav Nagar slum in Rabale, went missing in the early hours of January 21. A few days later, on January 29, his decomposed body was found in a construction pit near the truck terminal, not far from his locality. The postmortem report and subsequent investigation revealed that Manoj was crushed to death by a massive boulder weighing over 100 kg, ruling out suicide and indicating foul play. Due to the state of decomposition, the body was initially unidentifiable, leaving police struggling for days to determine the victim’s identity. As investigators debated whether to send the body for DNA testing or check missing person reports, they stumbled upon a crucial clue—a small piece of yellow fabric near the body. Manoj Sabhajeet Bind, the deceased “It looked like a cutout from a T-shirt. That was all we had, so we started asking locals if they had seen anyone wearing a yellow T-shirt 8–9 days ago,” said an official from the Crime Branch Unit 1 of Navi Mumbai police. Eventually, the victim’s mother recognised the fabric and confirmed it was her son's. She had been waiting for his return after he told her he was going to the public toilet at 12.15 am on January 21, but he never came back. Though she had filed a missing person report with Rabale MIDC police, the advanced decomposition meant the body did not match the photograph attached to the report. A screen grab of footage of the accused, Deepak Bulleten Bind, withdrawing money from an ATM With no CCTV cameras in Yadav Nagar to track Manoj’s movements and his phone, wallet and debit cards missing, police turned to his bank transactions. They discovered that Rs 21,000 had been withdrawn from his account at an ATM. The following day, an official from Rabale MIDC police informed the team that Manoj had previously visited the station to report a theft, claiming a “friend” had used his debit card to withdraw money without his consent. However, no FIR was registered, as Manoj left the station after an argument with an unidentified person. “Who usually has access to someone’s ATM PIN? It’s either family or close friends. In this case, the family had no idea about Manoj’s, whereabouts, let alone his PIN. That left us with his two close friends,” said the official. “One of them even assisted us after the missing person report was filed. He joined the search for Manoj, likely to avoid suspicion. By then, we had our suspect—but no evidence to prove it.” To gather evidence, a police team was stationed in Yadav Nagar for over five days, closely monitoring the suspect’s movements. During this time, police secured CCTV footage from the ATM, where a man was seen withdrawing money. He was wearing a cap, covering his face with a handkerchief, barefoot, and wearing a T-shirt inside out. “He left nothing that could reveal his identity. Even the kada (bangle) he always wore and the sacred thread around his wrist were removed, which left us confused. We questioned whether he was the suspect or if we were on the wrong track,” said the official. The second breakthrough in the case came from Manoj’s digital records. “Based on the time of death in the postmortem report, we were surprised to find a message Manoj had sent to one of his friends saying, ‘Me kuchh din ke liye bahar ja reha hoon (I am going out for some days)’, essentially telling him not to look for him. We checked his previous messages and noticed differences in his texting style. “We instructed one of our officers to subtly ask the suspect to type a message and compared it. It matched. Manoj would type ‘raha,’ while the suspect typed ‘reha,’ among other subtle differences,” an official reported. Police then traced the suspect’s mobile tower location to the same area from which Manoj had sent his last text message, providing crucial evidence that led to his detention. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to killing Manoj, citing the latter’s intention to report the theft as the motive. “He was agitated that his reputation in the locality would be permanently damaged, leading to isolation. This is when the entire plan to murder Manoj was hatched,” said the official.The motive was further confirmed by a statement from a friend of the accused, who also resides in the same area. The accused were identified as Deepak Bulleten Bind, 20, and Deepak Gaud, 24. Gaud had lent a sum of money to the victim, which was not repaid, providing another motive for the crime.
08 February,2025 08:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerThe Versova police are searching for a housemaid accused of stealing Rs 1.54 lakh, part of which was found hidden in a toilet flush tank. The theft was discovered when the flush cover came loose while the homeowner was using it, revealing the concealed cash. Following the complaint, the Versova police registered an FIR against the suspect, Neeta Thoke, 35, a Versova resident. The homeowner, a businessman from Andheri West, had hired her in December 2024 through the society’s watchman. When asked for her Aadhaar card, Neeta claimed it had already been submitted, as she worked in multiple households. “We trusted her, but she stole money and hid it in the washroom. A few days ago, I noticed something suspicious when she was inside the washroom. Later, when we flushed the toilet, the tank cover lifted, exposing R37,000 which was balanced on the flush motor,” the homeowner told mid-day. A police officer said, “On January 12, the homeowner realiseda a total of Rs 78,000 was missing from his bag, wallet, and cupboard. Additionally, some cash was unaccounted for from the Rs 6,83,300 he had kept in his bag. While searching, he discovered Rs 37,000 inside the flush tank. Upon confrontation, Neeta admitted to the theft, and the homeowner recorded her confession on video. She then fled the house.” Further checks revealed that Rs 76,200 was also missing from his bag, bringing the total stolen amount to Rs 1,54,200. He then informed the Versova police, who registered the FIR. “We recorded her confession and immediately contacted the police,” said the homeowner. The police have registered the case under various IPC sections and are actively searching for the accused. Rs 1.54LakhTotal amount stolen
08 February,2025 08:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaSeven Bangladeshi nationals, including four women, were arrested in Mumbai on Friday for allegedly staying in the country illegally, a police officer said. Sohang Ashir Mulla and Zahidul Islam Imul, both aged 26, Noyam Afzal Hussain Sheikh, 25; Alamin Sheikh, 23; Suma Jahigir Alam Tutul, 24; Tawmina Akhtar Raju and Salma Moksad Ali, both aged 35 were staying in Mahul, Chembur, for almost five years, he said. "The seven admitted they are from Bangladesh and had been residing her without valid documents since March 2020. They have been charged under Foreigners Act, Passport Act etc. Further probe into the case is underway," the RCF Police Station officer said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
07 February,2025 09:45 PM IST | Mumbai | PTIThe Gamdevi Police have arrested a 35-year-old man for allegedly attacking a constable at Girgaon Chowpatty in Mumbai. The matter came to light on Thursday, when the 35-year-old constable, Shivaji Ugle, was attacked while patrolling near Girgaon Chowpatty. “A person approached him and removed a stone from his sack and then attacked him. He has injuries on his head and thigh. He was rushed to the nearest hospital and is currently receiving treatment,” a police officer said. Based on the constable's statements, the police have arrested a 35-year-old man. During investigation, it was revealed that the accused is mentally unfit, the police said.
07 February,2025 06:57 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheThe Dongri Police in Mumbai have arrested 11 people in connection with a cyber fraud case in which a pensioner was duped of Rs 8.6 lakh on the pretext of an investment scheme. A first information report (FIR) in the case was registered on August 6, 2024, which revealed a large-scale financial racket. Under the leadership of Sub-inspector Gobind Phad, the Investigating Officer (IO) in the case, a team of Mumbai Police apprehended six of the accused from Goa on January 31 after an extensive interrogation. So far, authorities have seized five laptops, 16 mobile phones, and two luxury vehicles — a Tata Jaguar and a Mahindra Mazarro — as a part of the investigation from the accused. The probe has further uncovered that two of the arrested individuals had traveled to Nepal and Cambodia in connection with the fraudulent operations, the police said. The accused allegedly had access to over 150 bank accounts and multiple SIM cards with international calling and SMS capabilities, which they used to facilitate financial transactions. Investigators have found that they also earned commissions for transactions carried out through these accounts. The two key suspects are believed to have made commissions ranging between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore each, which was allegedly used it as illicit funds and to purchase high-end cars and properties. The accused have been good friends and have been living in Pune and Nashik. The police said they have not cooperated in the investigation.
07 February,2025 06:25 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheA 42-year-old teacher from a private English-medium school in Maharashtra’s Thane district has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a 14-year-old female student, police confirmed on Friday. According to PTI reports, the accused, Naveen Ramchandra Nair, teaches at a school in Badlapur and had allegedly been harassing the student since October last year. The complaint states that Nair inappropriately touched the girl during exams, dance classes, and costume distribution for a school event. Additionally, he is accused of making lewd remarks, making the student extremely uncomfortable. Initially, the minor remained silent, possibly out of fear or uncertainty, but when the harassment continued, she decided to confide in her mother. Her mother, realising the severity of the situation, immediately approached the Badlapur police station on Thursday, leading to the teacher’s arrest. As per PTI, the accused has been booked under multiple charges, including sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Thane: Court acquits man accused of sexually harassing 14-year-old step-daughter A court in Thane district in Maharashtra acquitted a man accused of sexually harassing his 14-year-old stepdaughter after she denied allegations against him, PTI reported. Special POCSO judge Ruby U Malvankar acquitted the man of charges under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. A copy of the order passed on January 23 was made available on Tuesday, PTI reported. The special public prosecutor informed the court that the girl lived with her mother and stepfather in Thane district's Mira Road area. The girl had alleged that her stepfather touched her inappropriately and showed her obscene videos and the harassment took place between January 2021 and February 2021, PTI reported. A case was registered based on the girl's complaint and the man was arrested and was in police custody for five months. According to the judge, both the prime witnesses, the girl and her mother, who could have testified about the accused's alleged misbehaviour and misconduct, had failed to support the prosecution's case. The court said the duo had stated that the man would beat the girl, and angered by the beatings, the mother filed a complaint in which she gave an exaggerated version of the factual circumstances, as she was under the impression that the police would beat him and would release him after two to three days, PTI reported. The girl, in her testimony, claimed that her stepfather would beat her when she made a mistake and on the relevant day, he had beaten her as he had thought that she was using his mobile phone, and in a fit of anger, they filed a complaint. She further denied that the man had shown her obscene videos and touched her inappropriately, PTI reported. Thane man gets 3-year imprisonment for sexually harassing teenage girl A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced a 51-year-old man to three years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually harassing a minor girl in 2019, reported news agency PTI. Such incidents should be reported to police as it will help in creating awareness in society and the convictions will serve as a deterrent to the offenders, the prosecution quoted special POCSO court judge DS Deshmukh as saying in the order passed on Wednesday. Special Public Prosecutor Sandhya H Matre told the court that on July 5, 2019, the victim, then aged 13 and studying in Class 9, was on her way to her school in Thane's Mumbra area when the accused, Moij Hatim Rampurwala, followed her and touched her inappropriately, reported PTI. The girl resisted his advances, raised an alarm and hit the Thane man with an umbrella, following which a woman passing by rushed there and saved the victim, while the accused ran away. The victim and the woman chased the Thane man to his house and later nabbed him, the prosecution said. The girl and the woman subsequently approached the police and lodged a complaint against the Thane man following which he was arrested. Judge Deshmukh on Wednesday pronounced the accused guilty on charges of sexual harassment and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, reported PTI. (With PTI inputs)
07 February,2025 04:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA nine-year-old girl seated pillion on a two-wheeler died on Wednesday evening after a speeding concrete mixer truck hit the vehicle at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Bandra (East) area of Mumbai. The victim's 10-year-old brother has also suffered serious injuries in the accident. The BKC Police have arrested the truck driver and have also registered a first information report (FIR) for speeding against the two-wheeler rider who was dropping the victim, Shifa Shaikh, and her brother Umar, home from school. The Shaikh family, who reside in the Motilal Nehru Nagar area of BKC, had hired an auto driver, Jafar Pathan, for dropping and picking the kids up from school. According to police officers, the incident occurred around 7 pm. As there are some issues regarding the documents of his rickshaw, Pathan had been using a two-wheeler for several days to transport the kids. While bringing the kids back from school, a concrete mixer truck collided with the two-wheeler, crushing Shifa, who died on the spot. The children were rushed to Sion Hospital, where doctors declared Shifa dead before admission. Speaking to mid-day.com, Shifa's father Sohail said, "I lost my daughter because of the driver, whom I had hired to take my kids to and from school. Without informing me, he took them on his two-wheeler instead of the rickshaw. My son told me that he was speeding, which led to the accident." An officer from BKC Police Station said, "We have arrested the accused truck driver and also booked the rickshaw driver who was hired by the kids' parents for daily pickup and drop for negligence driving." Shifa was a Class 4 student, while her brother studies in Class 5.
07 February,2025 04:20 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaTwenty-six bonded labourers along with their family members, totalling 48 people, have been rescued from a charcoal-making unit in Maharashtra's Pune district, an official said on Friday, PTI reported. Acting on the complaint of all the victims from Raigad district, police booked one accused Sayaji Bandalkar who allegedly subjected them to forced labour, the official said. As per PTI, Bandalkar allegedly forced the men to bring wood from the jungle for the charcoal unit at Girvi village in Pune's Indapur tehsil, while women and children were held captive at the site and often made to work in farms After learning about the bonded labourers' situation, the non-profit Shramajeevi Sanghatana worked with the authorities and ensured the rescue of the 26 bonded labourers along with their family members - altogether, 48 individuals. Bandalkar has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. According to PTI, Indapur tehsildar has issued documents to the labourers, freeing them from their bonded status, the official added. Jalgaon train accident: Many victims were Nepalese labourers, security guards A number of passengers who died in the Pushpak Express accident were either working as labourers at construction sites or working as security guards and house helps in and around Mumbai. A few passengers of the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express, who got off the train after an alarm chain-pulling incident, were run over by the Karnataka Express heading from Bengaluru to Delhi on the adjacent track in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district on Wednesday evening. Thirteen have been declared dead and 15 injured. Radha Bhandari, daughter-in-law of deceased Kamla Navin Bhandari, 43, who worked at Colaba, said, “We were coming to Mumbai to join work but now there is no hope left. We have received the cheque and compensation money from the railways and have been asked to submit bank details. But money cannot compensate for the loss of life. We are originally from a village in Nepal and are now going back there.” Ramrang Pasi, companion of deceased Lacchiram Khatru Pasi, also from Nepal said, “I was accompanying him and the only close one travelling with him. Lacchiram used to work at Mumbra at a construction site and we were on the way there when this unfortunate incident happened.” Raju Vishwakarma, who lost two of his family members—his mother-in-law Javakala Bhate Jaykadi, 60, and Himu Nandram Vishwakarma, 11—was devastated. “We have received money from the government, but what do we do with it? We were coming back to Mumbai from Lucknow as I work as a security guard at Bhiwandi. Our family belongs to Koshi Province in Nepal.” (With PTI inputs)
07 February,2025 01:15 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 11 has arrested a 27-year-old man in possession of narcotics worth Rs 4.5 lakh. During a search of his residence, officers also recovered a pistol and two live cartridges, raising serious security concerns. Acting on a tip-off and under the guidance of senior officers, the Crime Branch Unit XI team raided a flat in Amy Complex, located in the Ram Mandir area of Goregaon West, on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Uzair Niaz Khan (27), was taken into custody. During the search, police seized approximately 23 grams of MD (Mephedrone) valued at ₹4.5 lakh, along with an electronic weighing machine, allegedly used for measuring and packaging the drugs for sale. While inspecting the premises, officers examined a chair frequently used by the accused and were shocked to discover a pistol hidden beside it, along with two live cartridges. A police officer stated, "Had we not been cautious, a major incident could have occurred." When questioned, Khan claimed he kept the weapon as a hobby. The presence of a firearm in the possession of a drug peddler highlights the dangers law enforcement officers face during such operations. Officials noted that if the accused had not been restrained in time, he could have accessed the weapon, potentially leading to a violent confrontation. Further investigation revealed that Khan is a habitual offender with a history of drug peddling. He had previously been arrested by the Oshiwara and Goregaon police for similar offences. An officer confirmed, "The accused has been booked and arrested under relevant sections of the BNS and the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway." The police are now probing Khan’s drug network, the source of the recovered firearm, and possible links to larger criminal syndicates. Mumbai: Retired banker duped of Rs 2.3 lakh in digital arrest scam A 78-year-old retired manager of a multinational bank has become the latest victim of a digital arrest scam, losing Rs 2.3 lakh to cyber fraudsters. The complainant, a Daulat Nagar Borivli East resident, received a call last month from an individual posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officer. The call was then transferred to someone claiming to be an officer from the Andheri Crime Branch, who alleged that the complainant was involved in a large hawala racket. “The caller claimed that the Andheri Crime Branch was investigating the case and, as part of the investigation, they needed to place me under house arrest,” the complainant stated. When he asked what house arrest meant, he was informed that he could not leave his home and was required to send updates every two minutes about the whereabouts of everyone in the household. The fraudsters then instructed the complainant to transfer the money from his bank account to a specified account under the pretext of verifying his bank details. The complainant transferred Rs 2.3 lakh via RTGS to the account. They assured the money would be returned within two hours. However, when the money wasn’t returned, the complainant grew suspicious. He tried calling the accused, but they did not answer his calls. Realising he had been cheated, he filed a complaint at Kasturba Marg Police. “Based on the complaint, we have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. Further investigation is underway,” said an officer from Kasturba Marg police station.
07 February,2025 12:28 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanIn a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Mumbai Zonal Unit (NCB MZU) has seized narcotics worth approximately ₹200 crore. The contraband included 11.540 kg of high-quality cocaine, 4.9 kg of hybrid strain hydroponic weed/ganja, and 200 packets (5.5 kg) of cannabis gummies, with four individuals being arrested in connection with the case. The operation aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Drug-Free India’ (Nasha Mukt Bharat) and follows directives issued by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to combat the growing menace of drug syndicates operating in India, particularly in Mumbai. According to NCB officials, the breakthrough was achieved after sustained intelligence efforts following an earlier seizure of 200 grams of cocaine in January 2025. By carefully tracking leads through both technical surveillance and human intelligence, officers successfully traced the source of the larger drug cache. On 31 January 2025, a raid in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra led to the discovery of the massive haul, including high-grade cocaine, hydroponic weed, cannabis gummies, and a sum of ₹1,60,000 in cash. The consignment was initially detected at an international courier agency in Mumbai, where a parcel destined for Australia raised suspicions. A detailed probe enabled NCB Mumbai to track the consignment back to its bulk storage location in Navi Mumbai. Preliminary investigations suggest that the syndicate is being operated by individuals based abroad. Some portions of the seized contraband were smuggled from the United States to Mumbai and were being distributed to multiple recipients within India and overseas via courier services, small cargo shipments, and human carriers. Authorities have revealed that those involved in the syndicate operated anonymously, frequently using false identities and pseudonyms to conduct drug transactions and evade law enforcement. So far, four individuals have been arrested, and investigations are ongoing to trace the backward and forward linkages of this highly organised drug network. NCB Mumbai is actively working to identify additional culprits and dismantle the entire syndicate responsible for the illicit trade. The latest seizure is being seen as a major success in India’s fight against narcotics trafficking, with authorities remaining vigilant in their efforts to combat drug smuggling networks and curb the flow of contraband into the country.
07 February,2025 12:16 PM IST | MumbaiADVERTISEMENT
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