Two men were arrested in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district for running a WhatsApp group through which they shared information about the movements of government officials with people involved in illegal mining, helping them to evade checks by authorities, officials said on Friday.

The Bhavnagar Local Crime Branch (LCB) arrested the accused on October 29 after the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Bhavnagar Rural suspected that they were keeping watch on the movements of government officials from near the old Collector’s office.

According to the police, the two men were allegedly operating a WhatsApp group named ‘Jai Ramadhani’, to which they had added people involved in illegal mineral excavation and transportation.

They monitored the movement of vehicles used by the SDM and other government officials and relayed information through audio messages in the group.

“The accused allegedly charged each member Rs 1,000 a month for sharing information about the officials’ movements,” the police said.

The SDM alerted the police after suspecting that the two men, who were sitting near the entrance of the old Collector’s office, were keeping watch on his movements and those of other officials to help people involved in illegal mining evade enforcement action.

An LCB team reached the spot and detained the two men. During questioning, they allegedly admitted to running the WhatsApp group and sharing information about the movement of government officials with its members.

The SDM, M D Parmar, subsequently lodged a complaint at Nilambaug police station, following which an offence was registered. The accused were handed over to the police station for further investigation.

The arrested men have been identified as Bhagirathsinh Vala, a resident of Shramjivi Society near Shivaji Circle in Bhavnagar, and Rohit Rathod, a resident of Ruva village on Airport Road. The police seized a motorcycle and a mobile phone from them.

“The operation was carried out by the LCB under Inspector H B Chauhan, with Sub-Inspectors R A Vadher, V C Jadeja, P D Zala and V B Chaudhary, along with other personnel,” officials said.

The operation followed instructions from senior officials to identify those involved in illegal mining and those allegedly helping operators evade government officials.

The DRI arrested two drug traffickers from a bus and seized 3.01 kg of amphetamine drug having an illicit market value of nearly Rs 2.4 crore in Nagpur, an official said on Friday.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Nagpur Regional Unit of Mumbai Zone, claimed to have dismantled an inter-state drug trafficking syndicate through the operation.

The contraband was concealed in three ladies’ suits, which appeared to be unusually heavy, said the DRI Nagpur Regional Unit.

Acting on specific intelligence, officers of DRI Nagpur Regional Unit intercepted two passengers travelling by bus from Delhi to Bangalore, passing through Nagpur on October 28, 2026, on suspicion of carrying narcotic substances in their luggage, said a DRI statement.

The officers boarded the said bus at Bhagimari Toll Plaza on NH-47, Nagpur. They undertook a detailed examination of the passengers’ luggage, which revealed that three ladies’ suits appeared to be unusually heavy, it said.

On examination, white-coloured pouches concealed inside the suits were found to contain transparent polythene packets filled with a white crystalline substance, it said.

Field testing of representative samples, drawn separately from all three packets, gave a positive indication for the presence of amphetamine, the DRI said.

The three packets containing a total of 3.01 kg of amphetamine, with an illicit market value of approximately Rs 2.4 crore, were recovered from the two passengers and were subsequently seized under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, the DRI said.

The two passengers were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985 and were produced before the JFMC at Nagpur on September 29.

These sustained efforts against organised narcotics trafficking networks operating across state borders reflect the steadfast commitment of DRI towards combating drug trafficking and contributing to the Government of India’s vision of a “Nasha Mukt Bharat”, said the statement.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized incriminating material and digital devices during searches across 11 premises in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) as well as Surat and Bhavnagar (Gujarat) linked to trace international drug trafficking network, an official said on Friday.

The ED’s Mumbai Zonal Office-L, conducted search operations on Wednesday, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against international narcotics syndicate led by Navin Chichkar, Dhiraj Chichkar, and their aides, the official said in a statement.

Searches were conducted to trace the modus through which drug sale proceeds received mainly in cash, infused in financial economy and further layered so as to project the same as legitimate income, the statement said.

The searches across 11 premises in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra), as well as Surat and Bhavnagar (Gujarat) were intended to trace the drug trafficking network and proceeds of crime (PoC) generated through the illicit drug trade acquired by a well-established international narcotics syndicate, it added.

The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai, under various provisions of the NDPS Act, following the seizure of substantial quantities of high-grade hydroponic cannabis (Ganja), cocaine and unaccounted cash in Mumbai/Navi Mumbai.

Navin Chichkar and others were allegedly involved in an established international network engaged in the sale of cocaine, hydroponic cannabis, LSD and cannabis edibles, largely sourced from outside India, the statement said.

During the searches, various incriminating material and digital devices, including high-end smartphones, laptops, and internal storage media, along with commercial books of accounts, financial ledgers, and investment records were seized, it added.

The searches revealed that proceeds generated from the sale of narcotic drugs were routed and cash was converted into foreign currencies, including US dollars and Thai Baht, which were subsequently made available to the accused, it said.

Moreover, proceeds of crime in cash were also invested in certain legitimate businesses so that the same is shown as untainted money, the statement said.

Searches were also conducted at the premises relating to “Crypto Trader(s)” which revealed details of certain “Crypto Wallets/Assets prima-facie linked to the proceeds of crime, the ED said.

It is gathered that the suspected persons was operating a number of Crypto trading accounts from outside India. The identified details are being examined to trace linked accounts, transaction histories, and to secure proceeds of crime, the ED said.