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Pune: Pimpri-Chinchwad Cyber Police Bust ‘Scam Call Centre’ Plot In Navi Mumbai Before It Began

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Pimpri-Chinchwad: The Cyber Police Station of Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) has arrested three men who were preparing to start a cyber fraud call centre in Navi Mumbai. The accused had earlier worked in similar scam operations in Bangkok and Myanmar. Police said the gang was planning to target people with fake investment schemes, officials announced on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Sushil Bhagwan Juwatkar (42), Pankaj Raj Kapoor (38), and Nishchal Tankbir Bareilly (27), all currently based in Navi Mumbai. The operation was carried out by the cyber police under the guidance of senior officers, including Pimpri-Chinchwad Commissioner of Police Vinoy Kumar Choubey.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dr Shivaji Pawar, the case came to light after a local businessman was cheated of Rs 2.09 crore. The fraudsters lured him with promises of high returns through IPOs and stock market investments. During the probe, police tracked a transaction of Rs 1.25 lakh to a bank account, which became a key lead in the case.

Further investigation led police to Sushil Juwatkar in Navi Mumbai. His associates, Pankaj Kapoor and Nishchal Bareilly, were also detained. Police found that Pankaj and Nishchal had experience working in cyber fraud call centres abroad. Acting on Juwatkar’s instructions, they were planning to set up a similar illegal operation locally.

During the raid, police seized several items used in cyber fraud activities. These included six mobile phones, three passports, two laptops, hard discs, POS machines, QR code scanners, debit cards, and multiple bank account kits and rubber stamps. Officials said these materials were intended to run a fake call centre and carry out financial fraud.

Police have also managed to freeze ₹62 lakh from the defrauded amount, providing partial relief to the victim. Efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining money and identify more links in the network.

Senior officers said the timely action helped prevent a large-scale cyber fraud operation from starting in the region. The investigation is still underway, and police are looking into possible connections with other cybercrime networks.

Crime

NESCO drug overdose case: Vanrai Police arrest 14th accused, twin brother of alleged mastermind Mahesh Khemlani

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Mumbai, July 11: The Vanrai Police have arrested the 14th accused in the high-profile NESCO drug overdose case, taking into custody Nitesh alias ‘Nick’ Khemlani, the twin brother of alleged mastermind Mahesh alias ‘Mark’ Khemlani.

According to police, Nitesh Khemlani was arrested following an investigation into the suspected financial network linked to the drug case. He was produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody until July 13 for further questioning and investigation.

The arrest comes as part of the ongoing probe into the drug-related incident reported at the NESCO area in Goregaon, Mumbai. Police are examining the alleged drug syndicate’s operations, including its financial transactions and links among the accused persons.

The Vanrai Police said that during the investigation, suspicious financial transactions between Nitesh Khemlani and some of the accused already arrested in the case came to light. Based on these findings, police took him into custody for further investigation.

Investigators are now questioning Nitesh Khemlani to trace the alleged financial network behind the drug operation, identify possible sources of funding and uncover further links connected to the case.

The arrest marks the 14th in the case, with police continuing their probe into the wider network involved in the alleged drug supply and distribution chain.

The NESCO drug overdose case has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of multiple accused and the alleged links to a wider drug network. Police officials have said that further arrests and revelations may emerge as the investigation progresses.

The Vanrai Police are focusing on establishing the complete chain of events, including the movement of funds, connections between accused persons and the possible role of other individuals associated with the case.

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Crime

12-year-old boy dies after part of neighbour’s house collapses, falls on family in Thane

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Mumbai, July 11: A 12-year-old boy lost his life while two of his family members were injured after a section of a neighbouring building collapsed and fell on their house in Maharashtra’s Thane district, officials said.

The incident took place at around 3:35 p.m. on Friday at Madras Chawl in Azad Nagar, Brahmand, prompting an immediate rescue operation by local authorities and emergency services.

Officials said the affected building was a ground-plus-one-storey structure estimated to be around 25 to 30 years old. Preliminary findings indicate that a portion of the building’s gallery suddenly gave way and crashed onto an adjoining house where members of a family were asleep.

According to NDTV, the deceased has been identified as 12-year-old Jaykumar Jaiswal. He suffered critical injuries in the collapse and was rushed to the Civil Hospital. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Two other family members, Urmila Jaiswal, 35, and Vinit Jaiswal, 9, sustained head injuries in the incident. Both were admitted to Titan Hospital in Manpada, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Their condition is being closely monitored.

Following the collapse, authorities evacuated three neighbouring houses in Madras Chawl as a precautionary measure to prevent any further casualties. Officials said structural inspections and debris-clearing operations are being carried out jointly by the Majiwada Ward Committee, the Public Works Department (PWD), and the Encroachment Department to assess the safety of nearby structures.

Emergency response teams reached the site shortly after receiving information about the collapse. The rescue operation involved two fire engines, a rescue vehicle, a disaster management utility vehicle, and an ambulance. Authorities ensured that the affected area was secured while search and clearance work continued.

The incident comes just days after another fatal house collapse in Mumbai amid heavy rainfall. On July 7, six people were killed and one person was injured after a neighbouring structure collapsed onto their home in Janata Nagar, Mankhurd. The victims belonged to the family of Akhtar Jahan and her husband, labourer Moinuddin Wajid Ali Shah.

According to local residents, the family had become increasingly concerned over the deteriorating condition of the adjoining building and had planned to relocate on Sunday. However, before they could move, the weakened structure collapsed during the spell of heavy rain, resulting in the tragic loss of lives.

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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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