Mira Bhayandar: In a significant crackdown on the narcotics trade, the Crime Detection Branch (Unit 4) of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police has dismantled a major drug trafficking gang. Officials seized 6.773 kg of Mephedrone (MD), valued at approximately ₹13.61 crore in the international market.

The operation began on May 4, following a precise tip-off received by a team led by Police Inspector Pramod Badakh. The information suggested a large stockpile of drugs at the Chedda Adarsh building in the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road.

Upon raiding the premises, police recovered 1.324 kg of MD worth ₹2.66 crore from the residence of a woman identified as Firdos Arbaz Qureshi. Investigators determined that the contraband belonged to her husband, Arbaz Vakil Qureshi. Both were immediately taken into custody.

During the interrogation of the Qureshi couple, the police uncovered a wider network of suppliers and distributors. Subsequent raids led to the arrest of several other accomplices across different regions

Moiz Javed Khan (Behram Baug, Jogeshwari), Arman Ali Kalam Ali Rain & Sunil Kamal Yadav (Oshiwara), Mohammad Wasim Yusuf Sheikh (Shanti Park, Mira Road), Irfan Anwar Kudiya (Rajkot, Gujarat), Mohammad Arafat Shamsuddin Ansari (Byculla), Khalda Arafat Ansari (Madanpura, Byculla), Akash Satyaram Yadav (New Link Road, Jogeshwari)

The total recovery stands at 6.773 kg, with the largest portion of the drugs being traced back to and seized from the Agripada area in Mumbai.

Total Value of Seized MD is ₹13,61,38,480

The MBVV Police are currently investigating the “forward and backward linkages” of this syndicate to identify the original manufacturers and the end consumers to whom the gang intended to sell the illegal substances.

Shiv Sena UBT Leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has strongly criticised the alleged involvement of an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) elected corporator, Mateen Majid Patel, in hiding Nida Khan in the Nashik TCS case. Nida Khan is the alleged mastermind of the TCS religious conversion and sexual exploitation case. She was arrested in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Taking to X, Chaturvedi questioned how an accused in the case was helped by an elected corporator, evading law and order. She further questioned, “Besides booking him, shouldn’t he be stripped of his public responsibilities?” Notably, currently, Nashik city police have booked Patel for allegedly sheltering Nida Khan.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Police used a strategy to arrest Khan after receiving a tip-off that Patel was sheltering her. Patel’s phone was under surveillance after learning Khan was in contact with him.

To avoid suspicion, police summoned several corporators from different parties under the pretext of reviewing their security arrangements. As he arrived, Police Commissioner Pravin Pawar asked crime branch officers to apprehend him, and he was questioned about Nida Khan’s whereabouts.

Though Patel initially denied any knowledge, he later admitted that Khan’s parents were staying in the Naregaon area and claimed that Nida left the city on May 2. After interrogation, he finally told police that Nida Khan, along with her family members, was hiding in his flat in Kausar Park for the last couple of days.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday also made strong remarks regarding the alleged role of Patel. Fadnavis said the investigation is underway and all angles will be examined to uncover those behind the alleged conspiracy. “It is clear that the AIMIM corporator (Mateen Majid Patel) had a hand in hiding Nida Khan. Who was behind all this will be found out. Are they in the conversion racket? Did they help? It will be discovered,” he said.

Mumbai: Traffic movement on the Lalbaug flyover was affected on Saturday morning after a goods carrier tempo overturned on the bridge, causing brief disruption in the area. No injuries have been reported so far, while the exact cause of the accident remains unclear.

According to a post shared by Instagram user ‘theblinggirl_avril’, the incident took place around 8 am on May 9. Visuals from the spot showed the goods carrier lying overturned on the bridge as several people gathered around the vehicle to inspect the situation.

Police personnel were also seen at the location managing traffic and directing vehicles to ensure smooth movement on the busy stretch. Commuters were seen cautiously manoeuvring their vehicles past the overturned tempo while traffic continued to move slowly around the accident site.

The visuals further showed that no driver was present inside the vehicle, indicating that the driver had safely exited following the accident. However, no official confirmation regarding the driver’s condition or the circumstances leading to the incident has been released so far.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement regarding the accident. Further investigation into how the goods carrier overturned on the bridge is currently underway.

In a similar incident, heavy traffic congestion was reported on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) near Vikhroli-Ghatkopar on Friday morning after a trailer truck met with an accident during peak office hours, severely affecting vehicular movement towards south Mumbai.

Visuals shared from the accident site by journalist Poonam Ahuja, showed the damaged trailer stationed on the side of the highway while a crane was deployed to remove the vehicle and restore normal traffic flow. Long queues of vehicles and slow-moving traffic were witnessed across the stretch during the morning rush hour.

According to the Mumbai Traffic Police, traffic movement slowed majorly near Ramabai Bridge in the Vikhroli south-bound stretch following the accident involving the trailer. “Traffic movement is slow at Ramabai Bridge (Vikroli) south bound due to trailer accident,” Mumbai Traffic Police posted on X earlier in the day.