Mumbai: Two held with charas worth Rs 30 lakh in Khar

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The police have arrested two persons for alleged possession of charas worth more than Rs 30 lakh in the western suburb of Khar in Mumbai, police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.

The police nabbed Bhairav Chowdhary (37) and Taufeek Shamshul Haque Ahmed (30) when they arrived to deliver the contraband in the Babasaheb Ambedkar Road area on October 25, an official said, reported PTI.

At least 1.07 kg of charas was recovered from the duo's possession, he said, reported PTI.

The accused have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and a probe is underway to find out to whom the contraband was to be delivered, the official added, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai police have arrested a person from Hyderabad in connection with the seizure of mephedrone worth Rs 10.17 crore and unearthing of a factory manufacturing the synthetic stimulant drug in Maharashtra's Solapur district, an official said on Friday, reported PTI.

This was the third arrest in the case which came to light when the Mumbai police apprehended two brothers and later raided a mephedrone manufacturing unit operated by them in the Chincholi MIDC area in Solapur district, around 400km from the metropolis, nearly two weeks ago, reported PTI.

The Mumbai police's crime branch nabbed the third accused, identified as Kailasm Vanmali (58), a resident of Kistardi Colony in Hyderabad's Gandhamguda area, on Thursday and brought him to the metropolis for interrogation, the official said, reported PTI.

Vanmali, also referred to as "doctor", is believed to be the mastermind of the drug manufacturing racket, he said, adding a search was on for other wanted accused persons, reported PTI.

During the raid at the Solapur factory, the crime branch had claimed to have seized Rs 10.17 crore worth of high quality mephedrone and raw materials valued at Rs 100 crore. Two brothers, Atul Gawali and Rahul Gawali, who allegedly operated the manufacturing unit, were arrested, reported PTI.

After that a crime branch team led by senior inspector Daya Nayak had launched a search for other wanted accused persons, reported PTI.

After analysing CDR (call detail record) data, the Mumbai police zeroed in on Vanmali, who was found to be travelling to multiple locations - near Solapur in Maharashtra, Hyderabad and Zaheerabad in Telangana, Bidar in Karnataka and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, the official said, reported PTI.

Vanmali's last location was traced to a state transport (ST) bus stand in the temple town of Tirupati, where the police checked 50 to 60 lodges, but did not find him. He was finally found in Hyderabad, from where he was taken into custody, he said, reported PTI.

The accused has confessed to have played an active role in the drug manufacturing racket, claimed the official.

(With inputs from PTI)