Fourth member of south Mumbai drug cartel held – Hindustan Times

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) On Saturday arrested one person in connection with the cartel run by Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan, grandson of a late former gangster Karim Lala.

The accused Salman Usman Pathan is the fourth member of the gang to be arrested by NCB. He supplied mephedrone (MD) in south Mumbai and operated from Parel and Dongri areas, said an NCB officer.

NCB zonal director Sameer Wankhede said that this was the first time that a drug laboratory was busted in south Mumbai, and drugs and cash collectively worth ₹10 crore were recovered in last three days.

Pathan was externed from Mumbai before lockdown. He was arrested in a drug case by Pydhonie police station in 2019. He started staying in Navi Mumbai area and operated the entire drug syndicate with his associate Arif Bhujwala, said the officer. NCB has launched a manhunt for Bhujwala.

His drug laboratory was busted in Dongri, on Wednesday evening and the agency had seized 12 kilograms of mephedrone, a pistol and cash ₹2.18 crore, from his residence and laboratory.

Several other materials that were used to prepare drugs were also seized.

NCB has also seized a diary from Bhujwala’s residence, in which codes and some of the networks of the drug cartel are mentioned. On questioning the arrested the accused, it was learnt that Bhujwala exported brown sugar and other materials from India and supplied MD abroad by airway, said NCB officials.

NCB has also found mentioned in the dairy that they have sold drugs worth ₹90 lakh in a few days.

It appears that the accused have made money around ₹500 crore from this drug cartel and they use hawala to circulates money within the country and outside India, added NCB officer.