Mumbai NCB seizes one kg charas in Indore after raid, cab driver detained

In an interstate operation, the Mumbai zonal unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) conducted a raid in Madhya Pradesh's Indore and and seized around one kg charas on Sunday, an official said.

The contraband was planned to be delivered in Mumbai to the members of a gang operated by notorious drug dealer Babloo Patri, who is currently behind bars, he said.

The NCB later detained a cab driver from Kurla in Mumbai in this connection.

"The raid was conducted on the basis of reliable information that high quality charas is likely to be delivered in Mumbai from Indore. One Taufeek, a close aide of Patri, was to take the delivery, but before that could happen, the NCB conducted the raid and seized the goods," the official of the anti-drug agency said.

During the probe, it came to light that Taufeek was in touch with the Indore-based gang, but was using the mobile phone of a cab driver to contact them. Taufeek, who resides in suburban Kurla here, fled after coming to know about the NCB's raid conducted in the Madhya Pradesh city.

Cab driver Shoeb Qureshi, whose phone Taufeek was using, was detained in Kurla, but preliminary probe has revealed that he was not linked to the gang, he said.

Patri is behind bars in a case registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while Taufeek works for him, the official said.

"A case will be registered in connection with the seizure of charas under the NDPS Act and attempts to nab Taufeek are on," he added.