Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Mumbai Zonal Office conducted searches at 21 locations across Mumbai, Surat, Ankleshwar and Rajkot on May 2 and 3 in connection with the investigation against “Transferring Organised Company” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The searches and searches against Salim Ismail Dola and his associates have covered Salim Dola’s organised drug network, which includes persons involved in financial transactions from the top to the bottom of the syndicate, including precursor chemical suppliers, chemical traders, manufacturers/distributors of synthetic drug Mephedrone (MD), hawala operators and persons holding benami properties worth crores of rupees. Accordingly, the search operation targeted key links in the illicit supply chain and money laundering ecosystem to significantly disrupt the syndicate’s operational capabilities and financial infrastructure. The search resulted in the seizure and freezing of cash, foreign currency, gold ornaments, and bank balances worth approximately Rs 1.33 crore. USD 2,200 along with foreign currency. Furthermore, documents related to immovable properties worth several crores of rupees located in India and Dubai were recovered, indicating substantial investments made with the proceeds of the organised drug syndicate. The investigation into the matter was initiated by various law enforcement agencies in Mumbai on the basis of multiple FIRs registered against Salim Dola and others in offences related to illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Investigations to date have revealed the existence of a highly organised international criminal network engaged in the procurement of precursor chemicals, clandestine manufacture of Mephedrone (MD), international transport and distribution of drugs, international trafficking of narcotics, collection and disposal of proceeds of crime through viable channels. There are also assets in the names of associates and other individuals. Further investigation is ongoing.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra ATS has unearthed the network of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and underworld don Shahzad Bhatti in the state and has also started questioning the suspected members. In addition, the ATS is also keeping an eye on his supporters and social media accounts. The ATS crackdown against Shahzad Bhatti’s supporters is ongoing. Maharashtra ATS interrogates some suspects in Nanded city. After receiving information on social media that some supporters of Pakistan-based handler Shahzad Bhatti are involved in anti-national activities, the ATS team detained some of his supporters in Nanded city and conducted an investigation and search. This operation was carried out by Nanded ATS in different parts of the city on Wednesday, June 3. Youths from Nanded and Parbhani were questioned, but these mobsters had no direct connection and were released after questioning. ATS had earlier detained 57 people on charges of having links with Shahzad Bhatti and conducted simultaneous raids in 9 districts of the state and exposed the Shahzad Bhatti connection and interrogated these youths. Later, they were also released. Shahzad Bhatti, Pakistani intelligence agency and Dawood Ibrahim D Company’s Manna Jhangara have conspired to carry out sabotage activities in India, after which the ATS has launched a search operation across the state. So far, 10 accused of the Delhi Special Cell have been arrested in this case who were trying to carry out the conspiracy of bomb blasts in Delhi and Mumbai.

Gorakhpur, June 4: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 406 kg of ‘ganja’ (contraband substance) in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and arrested four accused who were taking the contraband to Deoria from Tezpur in Assam, an official said on Thursday.

The NCB Gorakhpur Zone, in coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), achieved the breakthrough when they arrested two persons on Wednesday, a statement said.

Acting on specific intelligence, NCB Gorakhpur intercepted a pickup van on the Salempur–Lal Bazar Main Road in Deoria and seized 202 kg of ganja concealed in the vehicle, the statement added.

During the follow-up investigation, NCB teams conducted further operations in Barhaj town of Deoria, resulting in the recovery of an additional 204.8 kg of ganja and the arrest of two more accused, it said.

With two separate recoveries, the total seizure by the NCB and Uttar Pradesh STF totalled 406.8 kg of ganja, it added.

The four accused were charged with offences under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The NCB said that investigation was underway to identify and apprehend other persons involved in the trafficking network and to ascertain the forward and backward linkages of the contraband.

In a separate operation in Maharashtra earlier, the NCB arrested two drug traffickers and recovered 702 kg ganja while busting a major interstate trafficking network in Gondia, an official said.

“The 702 kg ganja was concealed in 100 packets among grocery cargo items, including detergent, toothpaste and hair dye, was recovered and seized,” the official said in a statement.

The seized contraband was sourced from Odisha and destined for multiple Maharashtra-based drug syndicates operating in Nagpur, Gondia, Pune and Mumbai.

In another case, the NCB secured jail terms in a Mumbai court for five drug traffickers, including the kingpin, in a synthetic drug trafficking case.

The convicts were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 15 years to one year, a statement added.

The Special NDPS Court in Thane sentenced the kingpin Mohammed Arif Yaqoob Bhujwala, a resident of Mumbai’s Chinchbunder, to 15 years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh, the NCB’s Mumbai Zonal Unit said.

“Parvez Khan alias “Chinku Pathan” and Mohammed Salman Khan, both residents of Chinchbunder, along with Vikrant Jain, a resident of Bhiwandi in Thane, were awarded five years’ imprisonment each and fined Rs 50,000 each,” the NCB added.

“Haris Faizullah Khan, resident of Bandra West in Mumbai, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 10,000,” it said.

The NCB investigation led to freezing of two movable and three immovable properties worth more than Rs 1.5 crore belonging to Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan.