Navi Mumbai, April 25: In a massive anti-narcotics crackdown, Navi Mumbai Police have seized drugs worth Rs 136.03 crore over the past four years, registering 1,993 cases and arresting 2,396 accused under the NDPS Act.

The action, led by Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe under the “Nasha Mukt Navi Mumbai” campaign, also resulted in the deportation of 1,571 foreign nationals, with 911 blacklisted for illegal stay and alleged involvement in drug-related activities.

Police said the crackdown involved a series of coordinated operations, including Operation Garuda, Operation African Kitchen and Operation Prahar, targeting both local peddlers and larger trafficking networks.

In one of the biggest drives in 2024, 75 officers and 300 personnel raided 25 locations simultaneously, detaining 89 suspects and seizing large quantities of cocaine, mephedrone (MD) and tramadol tablets.

Investigations by the Anti-Narcotics Cell, led by Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Nigade, exposed international and inter-state drug syndicates. A major breakthrough came with the busting of a hydroponic ganja racket linked to Thailand, leading to the arrest of key accused Navin and Dhiraj Chinchkar from Malaysia.

The case also led to the dismissal of two Navi Mumbai police constables under service rules and the arrest of 26 individuals, including a Customs officer and two postal employees.

In another operation, police dismantled a Punjab-based heroin trafficking network, seizing drugs worth Rs 5.32 crore. Seven cases were registered, with 56 accused identified. Of these, 44 were arrested from Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Amritsar, Pune and Chennai, and are currently lodged in Taloja Central Jail.

On the local front, stringent action under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was taken against a Rabale-based gang led by Shantabai Karandekar, dismantling a key distribution network. Under Operation Prahar, raids were conducted at 48 locations targeting street-level drug suppliers.

Between January 1, 2023, and April 14, 2026, police deported 1,571 foreign nationals, while notices were issued to 84 individuals for overstaying their visas, as part of efforts to curb illegal activities linked to narcotics.

Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe said, “Making Navi Mumbai completely drug-free is our top priority. We are targeting not just local peddlers but also international and inter-state supply chains. Our zero-tolerance policy will continue, and strict action will be taken against anyone involved in the drug trade.”

Year-wise action under NDPS Act

2023: 290 cases, 353 arrests, drugs worth Rs 21 crore seized

2024: 484 cases, 609 arrests, drugs worth Rs 30 crore seized

2025: 990 cases, 1,156 arrests, drugs worth Rs 67.48 crore seized

Till March 2026: 229 cases, 278 arrests, drugs worth Rs 17.27 crore seized

Thane: In a chilling case of alleged domestic violence, a 32-year-old man was arrested for allegedly strangling his wife following a dispute at their residence in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Saturday.

the accused, identified as Naresh Kamalsingh Khadka, was apprehended from Panvel in neighbouring Navi Mumbai within 24 hours of the incident. The swift arrest came after he allegedly fled the scene in the immediate aftermath of the crime.

Senior Inspector Abhay Mahajan, providing details of the case, said the incident took place in the early hours of Friday, April 24, at the couple’s residence in the Agakhanwadi area. Preliminary investigations suggest that a domestic discord escalated into a fatal confrontation, during which the accused allegedly strangled his wife, Hima Khadka.

The crime came to light after neighbours, alerted by the situation, informed the police. A team rushed to the spot and found the woman unresponsive. She was later declared dead, and her body was sent to a government hospital for postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Police officials said the accused had fled the residence soon after the incident. Acting on leads and conducting a manhunt, teams tracked him down to Panvel, where he was taken into custody.

A case has been registered against the accused under Section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are now working to establish the precise motive behind the killing, while also examining the couple’s background and any history of disputes.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

Acting under the directions of the Commissioner of Police, Greater Mumbai, the Mumbai Police carried out a special drive between January 1, 2026 and March 31, 2026 to trace and apprehend wanted and absconding accused.

During the drive, a total of 367 accused were successfully arrested and produced before the concerned courts. Significantly, 18 of those arrested had been absconding for over 20 years, reflecting the sustained and meticulous efforts of the police machinery.

Among the notable achievements, the Azad Maidan Police Station arrested an accused who had been absconding since 1987, while the N. M. Joshi Marg Police Station apprehended another accused who had been on the run since 1988.

Mumbai: In a dramatic twist, nearly three decades after the encounter killing of Mumbai gangster Sadiq Kalia, Mumbai police have arrested his nephew for allegedly plotting and executing a revenge murder.

Kalia was gunned down in a police encounter in Dadar in 1999 by a team led by noted encounter specialist Daya Nayak. At the time, his nephew Sadiq Javar was just two years old. Now, nearly 27 years later, Javar has been arrested for allegedly targeting the man he believed had tipped off police about Kalia’s whereabouts.

According to cops, the victim, Iqbal Ibrahim Seliya (78), was attacked at his residence in Nagpada on the evening of April 20. Police said two men entered the house while Seliya was alone and assaulted him with a chopper, stabbing him more than 20 times before fleeing. His family later discovered his body.

four days after the incident, the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested Javar and his associate, Naushad Mithani (22), from Nagpur following a technical surveillance operation.

Police said Javar allegedly believed Seliya had acted as an informant in 1999, leading to Kalia’s encounter. Growing up with this belief, Javar is suspected of having held a long-standing grudge against the victim.

Investigations revealed that after the murder, the accused travelled from Antop Hill to Vidyavihar, boarded a train to Kalyan, and then hired a vehicle to reach Nagpur, covering over 700 kilometres in an attempt to evade arrest. CCTV footage from the area captured their movements before and after the crime.

Crime Branch officials said the accused have confessed and provided details of the planning and escape route. Senior Inspector Pradeep Kale of Nagpada police station confirmed the murder and said further investigation is underway.

Police records indicate that Kalia, who began as a street-level shoe seller in Kalachowki, later joined the gang of Chhota Shakeel after reportedly refusing to pay extortion money to rivals. Along with sharpshooter Munna Jhingada, he was allegedly involved in multiple crimes across Mumbai in the late 1990s. The accused are being brought to Mumbai for further legal proceedings as cops continue to probe the case.