27 November,2020 07:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan Khan
Nawab Shaikh, the cabbie, and Nathani Heights (right) in Lamington Road where he and his family had been living in a rented 2BHK; Farukh Chaudhary, another drug dealer who was arrested
A Mumbai Central-based taxi driver living in a posh high-rise was arrested on Thursday in a drug trafficking case by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Agency officers first thought the driver might have gone to deliver something to Nathani Heights in Parsi Colony but were surprised to find that he had been staying there with his family, paying a rent of around Rs 70,000 for a luxurious 2BHK.
The NCB conducted multiple raids in the city on Thursday and in its first operation, the agency arrested a drug peddler named Sunil Gawai, who allegedly supplied drugs to comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiya. Then the agency got information about a big supplier of MD residing in a posh high-rise.
"We were surprised when we reached the spot and carried out searches inside a plush flat. The supplier against whom we got the details turned out to be a taxi driver who was staying on rent in Nathani Heights along with his family, who appeared to be well-educated," said Sameer Wankhede, zonal director, NCB.
The accused taxi driver has been identified as Nawab Shaikh. "We have seized 10 blots commercial quantity of LSD and 32.9 gram Mephedrone (MD) from the accused," Wankhede added.
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After Shaikh, the agency got hold of another supplier who came to deliver a consignment to him. This supplier has been identified as Farukh Chaudhary. "We suspect that he has been involved in drug supply for a few years. He might have been meeting his customers near the building. The accused has always maintained a low profile," said an NCB officer.
During its raid, the NCB found that Shaikh has involved his entire family into the drug business and had hidden the drugs in various places inside the house, such as the kitchen, hall, bedroom and terrace.
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In a third operation, which was a follow up to the arrest of a drug peddler Kerry Mendes from Goregaon last Sunday, the NCB apprehended peddlers Neal D'silva and Ahmed Shaikh Sajid. During Kerry's arrest, the NCB team was allegedly attacked by a mob and an FIR was registered against them at Goregaon police station.
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