The Yellow Gate Police have registered a case against six unidentified fishing boat operators for illegally entering the restricted security zone surrounding Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) offshore platforms in the Arabian Sea between September 11 and October 11.

According to the complaint filed by Mubeen Aziz Ahmed (49), Chief Manager (Security) at ONGC, Maker Tower, Colaba, the accused repeatedly violated security regulations by entering the 500-metre prohibited area near several ONGC offshore installations without authorization.

Ahmed, who has been serving with ONGC since 2009, also coordinates with the Indian Navy’s Offshore Defence Advisory Group (ODAG) for marine security. In his statement, he noted that only naval, coast guard, and marine police vessels are permitted within the restricted radius — a rule mandated under a Ministry of External Affairs notification dated June 12, 2025.

Despite prior written warnings issued to the fisheries department on August 22, 2025, asking them to alert fishermen about the restricted zones, several boats were reportedly caught fishing near ONGC installations.

The Indian Navy’s ODAG informed ONGC via email that during routine patrols, they found the following vessels operating illegally inside the restricted zones: Ganga Maiya 5, Kalavati Shakti, Devyani, MFB Shree Mathu Mariamma, Shri Brahmhanmurti Chhaya, and Mahalaxmi Mauli.

These boats were reportedly sighted near ONGC’s offshore platforms, including MHN, B-193-A, Heera, and Bassein, operating dangerously close or even tying up to the structures.

Based on these repeated violations, the Yellow Gate Police registered an FIR under Section 223(b) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 120 of the Maharashtra Police Act, against six unidentified persons.

The complaint emphasized that unauthorized entry into ONGC’s restricted offshore zones poses a serious threat to national security and the safety of vital energy infrastructure.

Police have begun further investigations to identify the fishermen and their boats involved in the violations.

In a coordinated operation, the Sion and Kalachowki Police have arrested a gang that posed as employees of a packers and movers company and duped residents by stealing gold ornaments under the pretext of helping them shift household goods. Police successfully recovered 100% of the stolen property from the accused.

According to police reports, the first theft occurred on October 15, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., at Dosti Light, Sion, while the second incident took place the same evening, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., at Manik Kunj, Meghwadi, Lalbaug, under Kalachowki Police limits.

In both cases, the accused arrived pretending to be from a packers and movers firm and escaped with valuables while loading household items.

At Sion, the gang made away with gold ornaments worth ₹8.8 lakh, while in Kalachowki, they stole 42 grams of gold ornaments and 250 grams of silver coins valued at ₹3.4 lakh.

Separate FIRs were registered — one at Sion Police Station under Sections 305 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and another at Kalachowki Police Station under Section 305(A) of the BNS.

Special tracking and technical teams from both stations were formed to identify and locate the culprits. Based on technical intelligence and tip-offs from informants, the Sion Police arrested the main accused, Sandeep Dinesh Vishwakarma (27), and recovered gold ornaments worth ₹8 lakh from him.

Meanwhile, the Kalachowki Police arrested four other gang members from Kandivali, identified as Pravin Phulchand Pandey (26), Durgesh Diwakant Mishra (26), Rakesh Baliram Yadav (20), and Pintu Baban Singh (28). Police confirmed that 100% of the stolen property in the Kalachowki case has been recovered.

The investigation team included Senior PI Vijaykumar Shinde (Kalachowki Police), Senior PI Anant Salunkhe (Sion Police), PSI Amit Bhosale, and several dedicated officers and constables. Their swift action and coordinated efforts led to the timely arrest of all culprits and full recovery of stolen valuables, earning praise from senior officials.

Aizawl, Oct 20: Assam Rifles have seized 90 bags of poppy seeds and 120 bags of areca nuts (betel nuts) worth Rs one crore in Mizoram, officials said on Monday.

A defence spokesman said that based on specific intelligence, Assam Rifles conducted a search operation at Farlui road areas, Ruantlang in Mizoram’s border Champhai district, and recovered the contraband.

This significant recovery underscores the Assam Rifles’ zero-tolerance approach towards illicit activities in the region and its continued commitment to ensuring the law and order situation is maintained, an official statement said.

The seized consignment has been handed over to the Customs Preventive Force, Champhai, for further investigation and prosecution under relevant laws.

This operation highlights the Assam Rifles’ ongoing dedication to securing the northeastern region’s borders and preventing illegal trade that adversely impacts the socio-economic stability of the region, the statement said.

An official said that the poppy seeds and areca nuts were smuggled from Myanmar and intended to be ferried to other states in India.

Security forces in Manipur and Assam often destroy illegal poppy cultivation in these states as part of the government’s ‘War on Drugs’ mission.

Poppy cultivation has been identified as a key source for the production of illicit opium. It is estimated that three to four kilograms of opium are produced per acre of poppy cultivation, with one kilogram valued between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in the clandestine market.

On the other hand, the smuggling of areca nuts, also known as Burmese Betel Nuts, from Myanmar has had a negative impact on local farmers in the northeastern states, as they have to struggle to sell their produce at competitive prices.

Areca nut farmers in Tripura and Assam have organised agitations in the recent past against the smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar.

The Manipur government, on several occasions, said that the ethnic strife in Manipur since May 2023 is a creation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, adding that these migrants, after illegally settling in the state, started the cultivation of illicit poppies. Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km unfenced border with four northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram — serves as a key transit point for drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, entering India. The Mizoram districts that border Myanmar are Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. These six districts share a combined border of 510 km with Myanmar’s Chin state, which is a hub for smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through the Northeastern states.