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Mumbai’s Lady Drug Mafia: The Shadowy ‘Queenpins’ Running The Narcotics Network

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Mumbai: A city known for glamour, glitter, and dreams is silently being consumed by the dark underbelly of the drug trade. The most shocking revelation in recent years has been the rise of the “Lady Drug Mafia”, a network of women emerging as masterminds behind major narcotics operations in the city.

Police investigations have revealed that the drug trade is no longer dominated by male criminals alone. Instead, women are now operating as key players  handling finances, supply chains, courier networks, and high-level communication for drug syndicates. While the male mafia leaders remain hidden, these women are pushed forward as the face of the operation to evade police suspicion.

Sources indicate that drug syndicates deliberately use women because society and police tend to be less suspicious of them. Housewives, high-profile women, models, bar dancers, and even social media influencers are being used as carriers and distributors. Airports, railway stations, and hotels have become key nodes for drug delivery.

Police also found that crores of rupees made from drug sales were being funnelled into women’s bank accounts. These funds were then laundered through luxury cars, flats, fake companies, and digital transactions. Many “queenpins” negotiated drug deals themselves and communicated directly with international suppliers.

In several cases, once a male kingpin was arrested, his wife, sister, mother, or girlfriend took total control of the network. The business was run using encrypted apps, code words, fake identities, and burner phones, making detection extremely challenging.

Investigators discovered that many drug traffickers use their female relatives to conceal assets and operations. Vehicles, storage units, SIM cards, and even entire supply routes are registered in women’s names. Since society rarely doubts women, this cover is actively exploited by drug syndicates.

In slum pockets across Mumbai, women couriers have been delivering drugs disguised as domestic workers or service staff. Some women independently handle finances, logistics, and customer communication.

This has become a major headache for Mumbai Police. Identifying female masterminds, gathering evidence, and proving their involvement in court requires deeper surveillance and complex investigation. Yet, in recent months, several high-profile women have been arrested, exposing their roles in major drug operations.

The Crime Branch Unit 7 arrested Parveen Bano Gulam Sheikh from a Kurla slum with 641 grams of mephedrone and Rs.12 lakh in cash. Her interrogation revealed direct links to international drug mafia operatives Salim Sheikh and Salim Dola.

Following her arrest, police busted a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Sangli, seizing 122.5 kg of MD worth Rs.245 crore  one of the biggest drug hauls in Maharashtra.

Pydhonie Police seized heroin worth Rs.36.72 crore and arrested

Rubina Mohammed Syed Khan, Shabnam Sheikh, and Muskan Samrul Sheikh, along with their associates. Investigations revealed their link to drug routes from Pakistan, trafficked into India via Rajasthan. The women acted as key distributors with support from a larger mafia network.

 Shabina Khan (Kurla)

Arrested with drugs worth Rs.50 lakh. After her husband Sarfaraz was externed, she took charge of operations, managing 20–25 peddlers.

Arrested in a 2025 crackdown. Her husband was jailed earlier, after which she brought her nephew Adnan from UP to continue MD distribution. This case marked the first-ever use of MCOCA on a drug trafficking network in Maharashtra.

Arrested in 2021 with drugs worth ₹73 lakh. She continued operations while her husband was in jail for murder.

A 21-year-old who sold drugs through Instagram. NCB arrested her after she evaded them for three months.

Known for running a drug racket from a slum pocket in Worli.

Accused of handling hawala networks and drug fund transfers under the guise of a travel agency.

Police also uncovered warehouses, vehicles, and bank accounts registered in the names of women like Shabana Sheikh, Farzana Ansari, and Asha Kamble, used for the storage and movement of narcotics.

The role of women in the Mumbai drug mafia is no longer supportive  many are acting as masterminds, running operations while male operatives stay in the shadows. Mafia syndicates believe women can evade law enforcement more easily, leading to them being pushed to the frontlines of trafficking.

For Mumbai Police, this growing trend is a serious challenge. Female suspects need increased scrutiny as they are no longer merely passive participants but active drivers of narcotics networks.

This dark business is not just a law-and-order issue but a threat to the future of young people. Whether women are coerced into crime or willingly choosing this path for easy money, the impact on society is severe.

The exposure of these “lady drug mafia” networks is a wake-up call  not just for police, but for society at large. Crime has no gender, and the law applies equally to all. This is the message behind the recent crackdowns.

Crime

Mumbai Police arrests two more in Rs 50.74 crore MD drug case

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Mumbai, July 11: The Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), Kandivali Unit on Saturday arrested two more accused in connection with a major commercial MD drug case, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six.

During the operation, police also seized 210 kg of liquid 2-Bromo-4-Methylpropiophenone, a regulated precursor chemical used in the manufacture of MD (Mephedrone), as the investigation into the drug syndicate continues.

According to police, the arrests were made in connection with C.R. No. 54/2026, registered under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, linked to Agripada Police Station C.R. No. 253/2026.

The two arrested accused, aged 32 and 27, are residents of Pydhuni in Mumbai. They were taken into custody at around 4:30 a.m. on July 11 following an Intelligence-based operation conducted by the ANC.

Officials said that acting on credible information received on July 10, the Kandivali Unit laid a trap in the Wadi Bunder area after learning that liquid MD was likely to be supplied there. During the operation, the police intercepted the two suspects and recovered 210 kg of liquid 2-Bromo-4-Methylpropiophenone, a controlled precursor chemical commonly used in the illegal production of MD drugs.

The latest seizure is linked to an earlier operation in which the ANC had recovered 14 kg of MD and liquid MD valued at over Rs 50.74 crore. With the arrest of the two accused, the total number of people arrested in the case has now increased to six.

Investigators suspect that an organised MD drug syndicate is operating in Mumbai, with possible links extending to other states. Police are now probing the supply chain, financial transactions, and the network behind the procurement and distribution of the precursor chemicals and narcotics.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

Earlier, on June 27, the Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell had conducted another major anti-drug operation in Goregaon, seizing 750 grams of heroin worth approximately ₹3.75 crore. One accused, identified as Subhan Imran Gada, was arrested during that operation.

Police said the Kandivali Unit had acted on specific Intelligence regarding a drug supplier operating in Goregaon. During the raid, officers recovered the heroin from the accused and arrested him. Investigators are now examining the source of the seized narcotics and whether the case has links to an interstate or international drug trafficking network. The accused was subsequently produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody for further investigation.

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Crime

Maha ATS questions 112 people over alleged links with Pakistan-based gangster, conducts statewide searches

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Mumbai, July 10: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has launched a major statewide operation to investigate alleged contacts between individuals in the state and Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti, with the agency questioning 112 people identified so far in connection with the case.

According to an official statement by the Maharashtra ATS, teams from all 14 ATS units across the state began the action at around 7 a.m. on Friday. The teams have been visiting the locations of individuals who were allegedly in contact with Bhatti through social media platforms and are questioning them as part of the ongoing investigation.

The ATS said that several locations across Maharashtra are being searched as part of the operation. Searches and enquiries are underway in areas including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira Road, Sangli, Satara and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, among other places.

The agency is examining possible links between the identified individuals and Shahzad Bhatti, who is suspected of allegedly using social media platforms to influence or encourage young people towards anti-national activities. Based on these inputs, the ATS initiated the statewide action to verify the nature of the alleged contacts and gather further information.

The agency is also collecting details related to their communication patterns, online interactions and any possible association with the Pakistan-based gangster.

The ATS has clarified that the investigation is currently underway and further action will be taken based on the findings of the enquiry.

Since the year 2025, the police have busted nine modules handled by Pakistani national Shahzad Bhatti.

This man, who was once a social media influencer has become the latest headache for the security agencies and would continue to remain for some more time as Bhatti is waiting for complacency to set in so that he can strike India.

Bhatti has emerged as the key figure in the modules that have been busted by the police.

While four separate modules relating to Bhatti have been busted by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), five were shut down by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that a clear pattern has been emerging and the Indian agencies are battling a new type of threat. Usually when nine modules are busted back-to-back by specialised agencies, the ones who are in charge tend to pull back.

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Crime

Assam Police bust drug racket; seize narcotics worth Rs 3 crore

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Guwahati, July 10: Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Friday commended a police team in the Sribhumi district for seizing 30,000 Yaba tablets valued at around Rs 3 crore and arresting three persons in connection with the narcotics haul, reiterating the state government’s commitment to its anti-drug campaign.

Taking to X, the Chief Minister praised the police action with a sharp message underscoring the government’s crackdown on drug trafficking.

“Every shipment has a destination, this one was the police station. Kudos to @sribhumipolice for seizing 30,000 Yaba tablets worth approx ₹3 cr and apprehending three accused,” Sarma posted.

The Chief Minister also used the hashtag #AssamAgainstDrugs, a campaign that has become synonymous with the state’s sustained drive against narcotics.

According to officials, the consignment of Yaba tablets was intercepted during a police operation in Sribhumi district.

Three persons allegedly involved in the smuggling racket were taken into custody, while the contraband, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 3 crore in the illicit market, was seized.

Police have launched further investigations to ascertain the source of the consignment and identify the broader network involved in trafficking the synthetic drug.

The Barak valley region in Southern Assam has often been used as a territory for the movement of narcotics items as the locality is surrounded by interstate borders with Manipur and Mizoram.

It has been considered that a large cache of drugs are transported from the neighbouring states using the Barak valley as a corridor.

Yaba, commonly referred to as the “crazy drug”, is a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine and is widely trafficked across international borders.

Assam, owing to its strategic location in the Northeast, has witnessed repeated attempts by drug smugglers to use the state as a transit route for narcotics.

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government has intensified its war against drugs since assuming office in 2021, with law enforcement agencies conducting regular raids, destroying seized narcotics and dismantling inter-state and cross-border trafficking networks.

Senior police officials have maintained that anti-narcotics operations will continue across vulnerable districts to curb the menace of drug trafficking and prevent the circulation of psychotropic substances in the state.

The latest seizure adds to a series of major narcotics busts reported from Assam in recent months as security agencies continue to tighten surveillance along key trafficking corridors.

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