Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch has seized charas worth over ₹60 lakh and arrested two people who had allegedly come to Mumbai from Gujarat to sell it. ANC officers said a link to the criminal enterprise run by global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, known as the D-gang, is being examined.
The duo were arrested after the ANC’s Worli unit received a tip-off about two men coming to sell charas in Nagpada. “We laid a trap near Arabia hotel in Nagpada and took two suspects into custody late on Saturday. They are identified as Samirbeg Mirza (29) and Noman Sheikh (24), both residents of Shahpur in Ahmedabad. Mr. Mirza had 5.265 kg of charas worth Rs 21.06 lakh in his possesion, while Mr. Sheikh had 10.47 kg worth ₹41.88 lakh with him,” an ANC officer with the Worli unit said.
He said the duo, who were placed under arrest early on Sunday, said during preliminary questioning that the charas is from Kashmir. “There have been recent arrests of suppliers of Kashmiri charas in Mumbai, after which some syndicates have started unloading their consignments in Gujarat. It is then sent to Mumbai through mules who are not history-sheeters. Neither accused has a criminal record,” said the officer.
D-gang links
According to Crime Branch sources, the D-gang has had a presence in areas like Shahpur and the neighbouring town of Juhapura. Earlier this year, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad had arrested Dawood Lala, a D-gang shooter who was allegedly running Dawood’s network in Gujarat and Rajashthan. Lala was hiding in Juhapura when he was arrested.
ANC officers said Nagpada has been a traditional D-gang stronghold, and the accused are being interrogating for possible links. Police said the accused have been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. They were remanded in police custody till October 23.
Recently, the Thane Police Crime Branch’s ANC had arrested Dawood’s younger brother, Iqbal Kaskar's younger brother Iqbal for allegedly extorting builders and businessmen from Thane and Mumbai on his brother's behalf. Kaskar and his right hand Shakeel Babumiyan Sheikh alias Chhota Shakeel were subsequently named as accused in the cases and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act was invoked against them.
