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Saturday,11-July-2026
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Crime

One pilot killed, another hurt in J&K chopper crash

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One pilot of an army helicopter that crashed in the Gurez border area in J&K’s Bandipora district on Friday was killed while the other sustained injuries, officials said.

The helicopter had gone to airlift a sick BSF trooper, but it crashed in the Gujran Nallah in Gurez tehsil before it could land.

Officials said one pilot has been killed while the other was injured in this crash. The injured pilot has been shifted to the hospital for treatment.

Air reconnaissance teams and rescue teams on foot were despatched immediately after the news about the crash was received.

The cause of the crash is not known yet. According to an official, the chopper was about to land, but drifted away because of adverse weather conditions.

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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