Cops looking for South Mumbai's drug kingpin 'Aapa'

The arrested drug peddler, found operating in south Mumbai's posh areas, has identified the woman drug dealer, who he operated through, as ‘Aapa', the kingpin of the racket in south Mumbai. The cops are now looking for her.

According to the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai crime branch, the arrested drug dealer is Abdul Karim Shaikh, 41, a native of Chennai, who has been living in the city for the past 35 years. Investigations by the ANC's Azad Maidan unit has revealed that Abdul, a resident of Byculla, ran a glass and mirror business before starting to peddle drugs. Through his business, he came into contact with two Nigerian nationals who were drug peddlers and started peddling mephedrone, commonly called Meow Meow.

In 2014, Abdul met the woman who, he said, is aged around 30-35 and is known as ‘Aapa' among peddlers. He then stared peddling for her and started operating in Marine Drive and Nariman Point. Shaikh was unable to say much about the woman apart from the fact that he always met her in areas close to railway stations. The last time he met Aapa was at Reay Road station a few days ago, the police said.

Police says
An officer of the ANC said, "We received information that he has been operating in Marine Drive, Nariman Point and Girgaon.

On Friday, there was credible information about him, and specifically about his appearance, received in a tip-off. A team was formed, headed by inspector Prashant More and inspector Jadhav (first name not known), which arrested him from near a Petrol Pump, at Barrister Nath Pai Marg, Reay Road Railway, and recovered the drugs from his procession. He was produced in court on Friday and remanded in police custody till July 9.

DCP Jayant Naiknaware of the ANC said, "He was arrested under section 8 (c) and 22 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and 52 grams of MD amounting to R1.04 lakh was recovered."