In a significant crackdown on interstate drug networks, Thane police announced the seizure of 9.8 kilograms of high-purity heroin worth approximately ₹34.18 crore from a coordinated operation in the Mumbai metropolitan region. The bust has led to arrests under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), one of the strictest anti-organised crime laws in India.
The prime accused, identified as Amjad Yusuf Pathan, has been on the law enforcement radar for years. He is already facing 20 separate criminal cases across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, involving charges of murder, rioting, and large-scale drug smuggling. His alleged criminal network reportedly operated across multiple states, moving narcotics through established smuggling corridors.
Along with Pathan, four of his associates have also been booked under MCOCA provisions, which carry stringent bail restrictions and the provision for special courts. The Thane Police Crime Branch stated that the investigation is ongoing and further recoveries are expected as interrogation continues.
In a related development, Kerala Police also reported the arrest of two individuals connected to an MDMA supply network. Ajmal, identified as a drug supplier operating out of Noida in Uttar Pradesh, and his associate Surya were taken into custody following surveillance operations.
Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, Karnataka Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) and drug control authorities have arrested a medical shop owner who allegedly supplied counterfeit cancer medications to nearly 90 hospitals across the state. The case has drawn widespread outrage given the life-threatening nature of the falsified drugs.
These coordinated operations highlight the growing pressure on law enforcement agencies across South and West India to dismantle organised drug trafficking networks and protect public health from counterfeit medicine trade.
