Thane: A 61-year-old woman from Thane, who had worked as a baby caretaker in Dubai, has allegedly been cheated of Rs 15.76 lakh under the pretext of receiving a parcel containing valuables from abroad, police said on Thursday.

The woman, who lives near Thane railway station in Maharashtra, alleged that two persons contacted her on her Dubai mobile number on April 14 and informed her that her gold ornaments and a high-end phone had arrived at the Mumbai airport from Italy, an official from Naupada police station said.

“They told her that the consignment needed to be cleared before April 22 and threatened that if she failed to do so, she would face legal action and would not be allowed to go back to Dubai,” the official said.

The fraudsters allegedly made multiple calls to the woman from different numbers and shared bank account details via WhatsApp, coercing her into transferring money on several occasions, he said.

“Under pressure and fear of arrest, the woman transferred Rs 15,76,000 into various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters,” the official said.

The woman approached the police on Tuesday, following which a case was registered against two unidentified persons under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Efforts were underway to trace the culprits, the police added.

Mumbai: Salim Dola, a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, displayed defiance upon his arrival in Mumbai following his arrest in Turkey, declaring, “No fear. I am not scared,” as he was escorted by officials. His statement came while he was being taken for a medical examination before being produced in court on Thursday.

Dola, considered a key figure in the operations of the infamous D-Company, was brought to the city yesterday by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after being granted a two-day transit remand by a Delhi court.

The arrest marks a major breakthrough for Indian agencies, as Dola had been on the run for several years and was allegedly managing international drug trafficking operations from Turkey. He was held on April 25 in Istanbul’s Beylikduzu district during a coordinated operation involving Indian intelligence and Turkish law enforcement authorities.

Following his arrest, Dola was deported to India and first produced before the Patiala House Court, which approved his transfer to Mumbai for further investigation. Special Public Prosecutor Manish Gupta appeared for the NCB and sought his custody in connection with a 2023 narcotics case registered in Mumbai.

Upon reaching Mumbai yesterday, Dola was taken to the NCB’s zonal office, where he is currently being interrogated. Officials believe he holds critical information about the functioning of D-Company’s global drug network, including smuggling routes across West Asia and Europe and the use of hawala channels to move illicit funds. Investigators are also looking to uncover details about sleeper cells and local distributors linked to the syndicate in Mumbai and surrounding regions.

Dola will be produced before a Mumbai court following initial procedures. His arrest and the later transfer to Delhi and now Mumbai are being seen as a major step in efforts to dismantle transnational organised crime networks with links to India.

Mumbai: To enforce strict accountability and transparency in the desilting of rivers and drains, Deputy and Assistant Engineers must remain on-site full-time without exception. Work shall follow rigorous drain-wise and day-wise planning, with mandatory daily updates in the system, warned Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar on Wednesday. Installation of mesh barriers at key points to prevent floating solid waste—especially plastic—has been made compulsory; non-compliance will not be tolerated, he added.

As part of pre-monsoon works, desilting of rivers and major and minor drains across Mumbai is underway. Bangar inspected ongoing river and drain-cleaning operations in the western suburbs on Wednesday. He conducted on-site visits to Walbhat River in Goregaon (East) near the Western Express Highway, Oshiwara River near the Goregaon (West) Metro station, the SNDT drain near Gazdharbandh pumping station, and the North Avenue drain in Santacruz (West).

Bangar began his inspection at the Walbhat River in Goregaon (East), which originates from Sanjay Gandhi National Park and flows about 5 km through Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari and Gokuldham before meeting the Bimbisar nullah. Noting heavy silt inflow from the national park during monsoon, he reviewed ongoing desilting works and directed that excavated silt be disposed of within the stipulated time and prevented from re-entering the river. Bangar also instructed that ramps for deploying heavy machinery be constructed under the supervision of Storm Water Drains (SWD) and ward engineers, who must remain present on-site. To avoid public misunderstanding, he further directed that clear signage be displayed at ramp sites explaining the purpose of the work.

He also reviewed the recurring waterlogging near Oberoi Mall, Goregaon (East), caused by obstruction in the Piramal nullah originating from Dindoshi.

Bangar stressed the need for a permanent solution, directing the SWD Department to overcome constraints posed by traffic on the Western Express Highway. He ordered thorough desilting and cleaning of culverts with mandatory video documentation, and instructed steps to enhance flow capacity. Noting that two 5 m x 2.5 m culverts beneath the Oberoi Mall junction have lost capacity due to utility lines and heavy siltation, he directed removal of all debris and careful, possibly mechanised cleaning, ensuring no public inconvenience.

Bangar called for augmentation of the SWD near the SRPF compound service road in P South ward, where drainage is sluggish. He instructed immediate pumping arrangements for monsoon relief, along with preparation and approval of estimates, tendering during the monsoon, and execution post-monsoon. At Oshiwara River near Goregaon (West) Metro station, he noted that a permanent ramp has been successfully provided for deploying machinery, calling it a good practice model. Bangar reviewed ongoing works at Oshiwara River, Mogra Nullah, and Irla Nullah, where pumping stations are being constructed.

During inspection of the SNDT nullah at Bandra (West), Bangar noted that multiple drains—including Shastri Nagar, Relief Road, PNT, Raheja Plot, North Avenue, South Avenue, and Main Avenue—feed into it, causing earlier flooding in the Link Road and SV Road (J.K. Mehta Road) stretch. He observed that box drains at Link Road and drainage upgrades at J.K. Mehta Road have resolved waterlogging, while 3-metre-high mesh barriers at Main Avenue have significantly reduced solid waste inflow. He directed thorough cleaning of culverts 24 and 25 near the railway colony stretch of SV Road and instructed coordination with Metro authorities to ensure timely completion of works in active construction zones.