Mumbai Crime: Dealer who used kids to peddle drugs nabbed

Arif Rashid Shaikh

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai, has arrested a drug dealer who used children aged 10-12 years to peddle drugs to evade police action, officers said. They added that the accused, who was nabbed from Reay Road with MD, worked for Chinku Pathan -- a gangster from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's gang.

Several cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act are registered against Arif Rashid Shaikh, 49, alias Arif Chenu and the NCB was looking for him for the past several months, said the officers.

The NCB was looking for Arif in two cases, one of which was related to Pathan, the grandson of Karim Lala. In this case, Arif's wife Roma was also arrested a few months back on the drug smuggling charge. Roma was also involved in drug packaging, officers said.

Sources in the NCB said that Arif sold drugs only to his regular customers around Reay Road and Dongri, and took orders on phone. The customers were called to a designated spot where children would deliver them drugs. He had employed four-six children for deliveries.

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Besides the drug-related charges, Arif has also been booked for assaulting an officer at Byculla police station. Sameer Wankhede, NCB, zonal director, told mid-day, "Arif had been absconding in the case linked to Chinku Pathan, and we were looking for him for many months. We arrested him on Wednesday with MD drugs worth Rs 10 lakh."

"Arif works for Pathan and is associated with Dawood's gang, "Wankhede added. The NCB had arrested Pathan from Dongri area on January 20, 2021, with a huge quantity of drugs.