MIRA-BHAYANDAR, Oct 24 — In a major crackdown on interstate narcotics trafficking, the Crime Detection Branch Unit 4 of the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police successfully dismantled a chemical factory in Telangana that was manufacturing raw materials for Mephedrone (MD) drugs. The recent raid marks a significant milestone in an ongoing investigation, bringing the total number of arrests in this sprawling drug syndicate to 25.

The operation traces its roots back to June 24, 2026, when police arrested two individuals—Avinash alias Sonu Loknath Iyer (22) and Ravikant Omprakash Ram (23)—near Priya Washing Center in Nallasopara East. Authorities seized 112 grams of MD worth Rs. 3,36,000 from their possession, registering an FIR at the Tulinj Police Station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Following the initial arrests, senior officials transferred the investigation to Crime Branch Unit 4 for a more in-depth probe. This intensive investigation previously led to the arrest of 19 accused and the unearthing of two illicit MD manufacturing factories. These factories were operating on agricultural lands in Gram Sandhan, Kutch, Gujarat, and Kosada Kala in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Prior to the latest raid, police had already seized 69.871 kilograms of MD, cash, 260 liters of chemicals, and lab equipment.

The continued investigation resulted in the arrest of five more individuals from various locations. These newly arrested suspects include:

• Murtuja Mohammadbhai Patrawala alias Monto alias Hasnain Bhopali (36) from Nandurbar.
• Shubham Vinod More (23) from Buldhana.
• Salim alias Salimbhai Ismail alias Ismail Dola (61) from Mumbai.
• Sabir Mohammad Devlekar alias King Memon alias Sabirali (42) from Mumbai.
• Mohammad Tehrim Abdul Rais Siddiqui (37) from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
  
  Interrogations revealed that a 25th accused, Ramesh Babu Sake, a resident of Medchal-Malkajgiri, Hyderabad, was illegally manufacturing and supplying an NDPS-controlled chemical powder, “2-BROMO-4-METHYLPROPIOPHENONE,” which is essential for producing MD drugs. He was operating out of IDA Pashamylaram in Sangareddy district, Telangana.
  
  Acting on this intelligence, a team from Crime Branch Unit 4 raided the location on October 21, 2026, with the assistance of the Patancheru Police from the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate. The team successfully apprehended Ramesh Babu Sake and destroyed his factory. Police seized 44.699 kilograms of the chemical powder worth Rs. 27,06,740, along with other chemicals and laboratory equipment.
  
  To date, the MBVV police have arrested 25 individuals involved in various roles—including chemical suppliers, drug manufacturers, smugglers, peddlers, and financial facilitators—from Nallasopara, Mumbai, Kalyan, Neral, Jalgaon, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana.
  
  The extensive operation was executed by Crime Branch Unit 4 under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Niket Kaushik, Additional Commissioner Sanjay Shintre, DCP (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode, and Senior PI Nitin Patil. The raiding team was led by Police Inspector Pramod Badakh, along with API Pravin Bhosale, API Dattatray Sarak, PSI Umesh Bhagwat, and other personnel, supported by the Cyber Cell.

Political reactions have intensified over an alleged audio clip concerning a purported Rs 500-crore transaction involving Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, with Shiv Sena leader Anand Dubey defending Shinde and Congress leader Husain Dalwai calling for an investigation.

The controversy erupted in political circles in Maharashtra after Manoj Jarange Patil released an explosive audio clip, alleging a deep-rooted political conspiracy to defame the Maratha agitation and crush his movement.

A startling segment in the audio explicitly claimed: “Jarange Patil ko already 500 crore roopaye pahunch chuke hain, jo Shrikant Shinde ke madhyam se pahunch chuke hain (Rs 500 crore has already reached Manoj Jarange through Shrikant Shinde)”, adding that the “primary personal target remains Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP.”

Shinde has denied the allegations and called for a formal investigation to establish whether the audio clips are authentic or potentially AI-generated fabrications.

Referring to the controversy, Shiv Sena leader Anand Dubey alleged Shinde’s reputation was being targeted through allegations based on an audio clip purportedly dating back two years.

“Our leader Eknath Shinde is a ‘karmaveer’ leader and comes from the Maratha community. Whoever is tarnishing his image will be forgiven neither by the Maratha community of Maharashtra nor by the non-Maratha community. Eknath Shinde is a leader who works tirelessly day and night, and allegations are being levelled against him based on an alleged audio recording that is two-years-old,” Dubey told media.

He added, “We will thank the Chief Minister for ordering a forensic investigation into the audio clip. A delegation of our leaders has met him and is asking who these people were who were talking two or two-and-a-half years ago, and why this is being released today. The matter will be investigated.”

Emphasising the alliance between Shiv Sena and the BJP, Dubey said the parties were part of the NDA.

Congress leader Husain Dalwai, meanwhile, questioned the alleged amount involved and called for an investigation into the matter. He also raised concerns about the demand for Maratha reservation and its potential implications for the existing Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.

“The question Jarange is raising is itself the wrong question. The demand is that the Maratha community should get reservation, is that wrong? Poor people in the Maratha community should receive education, get jobs and receive assistance for their farming. That is understandable. But if they are included in the reservation system, what happens to those who genuinely belong to the OBC category?” Dalwai said.

Questioning the scale of the alleged transaction, he added, “The second thing is this Rs 500-crore matter. First, count how many zeros there are in one crore. This matter should be investigated.”

Dalwai also took a swipe at Shinde over his political association, saying, “I would tell Eknath Shinde that the party he has joined, you will gradually understand what it is.”

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of having links with the banned terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) from Mumbai Mahim area, officials said.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar, was apprehended by the Kalachowki unit of the Maharashtra ATS near Mahim Metro station following a tip-off.

According to the investigating agency, the accused used his work as a Rapido rider and perfume seller as a cover while propagating radical ideology.

The ATS alleged that he was attempting to spread communal hatred and anti-national sentiments through various social media platforms. Investigators also recovered material allegedly linked to such activities from his mobile phone.

According to the agency, the accused operated a Telegram group where he allegedly uploaded inflammatory audio speeches by Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar on the Babri Masjid and other issues on June 1. The ATS also claimed that he was an active member of a Pakistan-backed extremist Telegram channel called ‘IBN-e-Qasim’.

The arrest comes months after the Gujarat ATS detained five people in July during an investigation into an alleged terror module linked to JeM.

The five accused were identified as Bilal Abidbhai Shera, Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala, Mohammad Palanpuri alias Khali Ayub Sunsara, Shafia Rais Mukhti and Mohammad Hasan Kardia. They were arrested from Khadiyal village in Siddhpur taluka of Gujarat’s Patan district.

Officials said the five suspects came under the scanner during the investigation into eight alleged JeM operatives arrested earlier that month.

The accused were produced before Judicial Magistrate R.M. Bhatia in Kadi town of Mehsana district, who remanded them to ATS custody until July 24.

Public Prosecutor P.R. Dantani told the court that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the alleged activities of the accused. He had claimed that one of them had attempted to make a time bomb and that investigators were yet to recover bomb-making materials and Urdu literature linked to the JeM.

Speaking to reporters, Dantani had said the names of the five accused had emerged during the investigation. He added that the ATS wanted to determine the source of the alleged bomb-making materials, where they had been concealed, and how the accused obtained jihadi literature associated with the banned outfit.

Investigators were also seeking information about where the literature had been stored.