Navi Mumbai: Rabale police recovered gold jewellery worth Rs19.13 lakh and a mobile phone within 12 hours of them going missing, bringing relief to 58-year-old Shakuntala Gaikar, a vegetable vendor from Panvel.

On July 31, Gaikar visited Ghansoli Market for her daily business. After returning home, she realised her bag – with ornaments and phone – was missing. She promptly filed a complaint.

A swift investigation began combing through CCTV footage from Ghansoli to Talavali and within hours, officials traced a suspect and recovered the valuables. The mobile phone proved crucial in tracking the location. Gaikar had been carrying her gold daily out of fear of home theft. “We are checking the suspect’s claim that he found the bag and didn’t steal it,” said a senior police inspector. An FIR was earlier filed against an unknown person, but the case’s direction could change based on further verification.

Mumbai: In a major update to the Rs 434-crore inter-state drug bust, Mumbai’s Sakinaka Police have uncovered the modus operandi of the gangs involved, a unique ‘shirt photo’ code used to smuggle mephedrone (MD) between cities.

Quoting police, two separate gangs worked in tandem to shift the contraband from a drug manufacturing unit in Karnataka’s Mysuru to Mumbai. One gang would deliver the consignment to Bengaluru.

The other, unconnected directly, would pick it up using a WhatsApp image of a shirt as a covert identification signal. This photograph-based code was used to avoid verbal communication and detection. The drugs were then transported to Mumbai via road routes.

This new revelation comes days after a godown was raided in Powai on July 30, where police seized 21.9 kg of MD and chemicals worth Rs 44 crore from Shop No. 9, Prathmesh Galaxy, near Hiranandani in Powai. The accused had disguised the facility as a colour distribution unit on the ground floor of a residential building.

“We were able to trace the Powai godown based on interrogation. The accused had told neighbouring shopkeepers and building members that they were running a colour distribution business. Under that guise, they were storing drugs, chemicals, and equipment,” said Investigating Officer Dayanand Walave. Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said further arrests are likely as more names have surfaced during interrogation.

The bust is a continuation of a larger probe that began on April 24 this year, when Sadiq Shaikh (27) was arrested in Sakinaka with 52 grams of MD. That arrest triggered a chain reaction, leading to multiple raids and arrests across Mumbai, Gujarat and Karnataka.

Eventually, on July 26, police raided a large-scale MD manufacturing unit near Belavatha in Mysuru and seized 214 kg of MD, precursor chemicals, and lab equipment worth Rs 390 crore. This included an additional 4.5 kg of MD recovered from Kaman village, Vasai.

So far, eight individuals have been arrested, four from the Mumbai-Gujarat-Mysuru link and four directly associated with the Mysuru factory. Police say three of the arrested have past criminal records, with one facing as many as 16 cases under the NDPS Act and for assault.

Thane: The issue of missing children in Bhiwandi has escalated significantly, leading to heightened public concern. Over the past six months, 142 children, comprising 47 boys and 95 girls, have vanished from the area. In response, the Bhiwandi police have undertaken extensive investigations and successfully located 126 of these missing children, reuniting them with their families.

The increase in missing minors has created numerous challenges for local law enforcement. The police, faced with this alarming rise, registered kidnapping cases and employed technical tools and CCTV surveillance to assist in their search. Investigation findings suggest that many children left home for various reasons, including familial disputes, deceptive romantic promises, and academic pressure.

A significant number of the missing girls were reportedly lured into relationships, resulting in their abduction to other states. The police collaborated with other state forces to locate and rescue these individuals. Anecdotal evidence indicates that external pressures from parental expectations and romantic pursuits often contribute to children’s decisions to leave home. The Supreme Court’s directives to classify these incidents as kidnappings have led to a more accurate record of these cases, making the issue more visible.

The data shows a worrying trend, particularly in the months following school exam results, where children often flee due to academic disappointment or parental anger. The situation has prompted increased anxiety among parents, particularly in a densely populated city like Bhiwandi. Between January and June, 142 minors went missing, with 44 boys and 82 girls successfully traced; however, as of now, 16 children remain unaccounted for.

In Bhiwandi, police stations have established specialized teams to find missing minors, achieving a remarkable 90% success rate in investigations. Recovered children receive counseling before being reunited with families. Some investigations uncover physical abuse, leading to charges under the POCSO Act.

A recent case of a 14-year-old girl abducted in Narpoli emphasizes these issues, as her mother reported an unidentified suspect. Mental health professionals, like Dr. Vijay Teli, stress the importance of improved parent-child communication, especially amidst digital distractions. Parents are urged to engage more with their children to prevent disappearances and provide emotional support while guiding them through adolescent challenges.