Mumbai: Acting on specific information, NCB Mumbai seized 1080 bottles of Codeine Based Cough Syrup (CBCS) weighing 108 kg and arrested N. Sheikh in Mumbai on August 8. He had attempted to smuggle the seized CBCS bottles, which were being transported in a passenger bus plying between Gujarat and Mumbai. The seized drugs were to be sold in Mumbai, Bhiwandi and adjoining areas. During the spot investigation, a distributor based in Gujarat was identified. Immediately, a follow-up team left for Gujarat and after extensive field surveillance, a distributor and his warehouse located in Vadodara, Gujarat were seized from where another 13938 CBCS bottles and 12,240 Tramadol tablets were seized. In an attempt to avoid signs of diversion of CBCS bottles, the numbers were found to be tampered with in several CBCS bottles. Moreover, several incriminating documents including fake receipts which were used to convert NRx i.e. narcotics based medicines were also seized.

During the investigation, it was noted that N. Sheikh, who was primarily operating from Bhiwandi area of ​​Thane district in Maharashtra, had earlier been arrested by Maharashtra Police in another NDPS case. His area of ​​operation was Bhiwandi.

It was also informed that the distributor based in Gujarat is wanted in NDPS cases registered by the police.

Tramadol and CBCS are strictly prescription based opioid drugs with legitimate medical use. Tramadol alters the central nervous system (CNS) and is considered to manage pain. Its non-prescribed use causes respiratory depression, rapid heart rate which can lead to fatal outcomes. It has severe withdrawal effects which makes it a dangerous substance for drug abuse. CBCS is commonly used to treat common cough and cold. However, codeine, being an opioid, has addictive and CNS depressant effects, the overdose of which can cause severe respiratory problems, liver and kidney damage with fatal consequences.

Acting on specific information, NCB Mumbai seized 1.060 kg of hashish during a search of the house of a woman named AJ Sheikh in Ghatkopar, Mumbai on August 12. The seized hashish was concealed in household goods and was recently purchased for sale in Mumbai and adjoining areas.

During interrogation, it has been revealed that the arrival of hashish was stopped to a great extent due to stringent drug enforcement measures and the upcoming festive season, due to which the seized hashish was bought by AJ Sheikh and his drug associates at high prices to take advantage of the opportunity. Other key drug associates have been identified and are being traced for their arrest.

Marijuana is a naturally occurring drug with a high THC content that is extracted from the cannabis plant, which is commonly grown in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Prolonged use of marijuana impairs cognitive and reflex development, with adverse effects on memory.

Both cases are under investigation. Both operations highlight the NCB’s continued efforts to dismantle organised drug gangs and target habitual criminals who fuel the drug ecosystem.

Mumbai, Aug 13: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Thursday claimed that while the ruling administration frequently boasts about sustaining strong economic and industrial growth despite global instability, official government figures presented in Parliament have severely challenged these claims.

According to data released on Monday by the Ministry of Statistics, job opportunities in India neither increased nor decreased over the past year. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) indicates that the domestic job market remains entirely stagnant, the party said.

The Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, said that the ministry’s report reveals key indicators regarding the current state of employment in the country. The unemployment rate for the current quarter stands at 5.5 per cent, compared to 5.6 per cent a year ago. Salaried employees constituted 51.4 per cent in June, a slight movement from 51.2 per cent recorded the previous June. The proportion of female workers saw a negligible rise from 32 per cent to 32.7 per cent. Job opportunities in rural areas have continued to decline.

While government supporters argue that stable unemployment figures show resilience, critics highlight a deepening crisis among educated youth, said the editorial. It further added that India’s graduate youth population has reached 6.30 crore, growing 13-fold over four decades, while unemployed graduates grew 16-fold in the same timeframe. Six out of every ten graduate youths are currently unemployed.

According to an Azim Premji University report, two out of every three unemployed youths hold a degree — meaning they possess the qualifications but lack employment opportunities. Out of every 1,000 job-seeking youths, only 12 secure permanent employment, said the editorial.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena argued that the Statistics Ministry’s figures directly contradict recent claims made by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who stated that the government created 1.7 crore new jobs annually over its 12-year tenure. The statistics also validate concerns raised recently by Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi during the “Chatron Ki Goonj” event in Prayagraj regarding youth unemployment.

The Thackeray camp claimed that the government, which boasts about a “five trillion” economy, has failed to create a single new job in the past year. The administration has failed to deliver on its promise of creating two crore jobs per year, leaving millions of qualified graduates facing uncertain futures.

“This is the “mirror” to the Modi government’s economic policies, and it has been shown by one of their own ministries. The country’s Home Minister, who suggests “fry pakodas if there is no job,” and the Prime Minister, who made a “Hello Friends” reel addressing the youth out of fear of protests at Jantar Mantar, need to take a look at themselves in this mirror,” it noted.

Mumbai: Hill collapses are not new to Mumbai, but the state government has failed to take serious steps to address the problem in the last 15 years. In the last 34 years, 340 people have lost their lives and over 300 have been injured in landslides.

In 25 of Mumbai’s 36 assembly constituencies, 257 places in hilly areas have been classified as dangerous. RTI activist Anil Gilgali said that the Mumbai Slum Improvement Board had recommended the relocation of 9,657 out of 22,483 identified slums on priority basis. It had also proposed to make the remaining slums safe by building protective walls around the hills. Gilgali had earlier warned the Maharashtra government about the risk of landslides at 327 places during the monsoon season.

Between 1992 and 2026, 340 people died and over 300 were injured in landslides. The Mumbai Slum Improvement Board had recommended relocation. A comprehensive survey was conducted in 2010. If action had been taken then, the deaths of the residents of these hilly areas could have been prevented. Following the board’s report and Anil Gilgali’s correspondence, the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan ordered the Urban Development Department to prepare an action plan on September 1, 2011. However, 15 years have passed since then, and the Urban Development Department is yet to start working on it. In other words, no one has prepared an ‘Action Taken Plan’ (ATP) as directed by the Chief Minister,