Mumbai: Crime branch busts drug supplier in club raid

The accused, Samad Raees Khan and Mohammed Asif Khan

In a swift operation, Unit 09 of the Mumbai Crime Branch, headed by Senior Police Inspector Daya Nayak, apprehended two individuals at the prominent Barrel And Co club in Andheri West. One of them turned out to be a drug supplier and had been previously arrested by the Hyderabad Police in a case involving cocaine. The arrests were made in response to credible information suggesting that the accused were wielding a pistol, making threats, and engaging in inappropriate behaviour towards women. The Amboli Police subsequently sealed the club on Tuesday.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, involved two men entering the club, initially partying, and later resorting to brandishing a pistol, threatening patrons, and misbehaving with women. Acting promptly, the crime branch conducted a raid leading to the arrest of the suspects identified as Samad Raees Khan, 23, and Mohammed Asif Khan, 56. Samad, according to the crime branch, has a record of six criminal cases across various police stations in Mumbai and was previously arrested by the Hyderabad Police in a narcotics case.

"After reviewing the CCTV footage and identifying the individuals, we took them into custody. A case has been registered under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint of a person), 354A (sexual harassment), and 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with charges under the Arms Act," stated Nayak.

Crime branch sources further revealed that Samad is allegedly involved in drug smuggling, functioning as a significant supplier of cocaine. "We are actively investigating his narcotics network and concurrently examining whether the arms seized from him have any connections to the broader drug syndicate," Nayak stated.