Mumbai: Not a shoe-in for drug smugglers held in Borivali

Drugs were concealed in the soles of shoes and slippers by the smugglers

The Borivli Police have dismantled two drug smuggling gangs operating from Haridwar and Saharanpur. The gangs used an unusual method of concealing drugs by hiding them in the soles of slippers and shoes. The police seized 472 grams of heroin, valued at Rs 50 lakh in the Indian market, and arrested four individuals involved in the operation.

Under the guidance of DCP Anand Bhoite (Zone 11) and Senior Inspector Maloji Shinde, Inspector Pradeep Kale, along with ATC officer PSI Pramod Nimpalkar, arrested two suspects, Parvez Khan (45) and Irfan Khan (35), on January 5. They recovered 88 grams of heroin during the operation.

According to sources, during interrogation the suspects disclosed the method used to transport drugs into Mumbai. They revealed that they worked as courier boys for a gang leader in Khadki Taluka, Haridwar district, earning Rs 15,000 monthly. Their role involved creating small drug packets and delivering them to individuals based on their employers' instructions in Mumbai.

The accused said they would get calls from their boss with instructions to hand over the drugs to unidentified individuals near locations such as medical stores. The individuals were identified only by descriptions of their clothing. Information from Parvez and Irfan led the police to another gang operating from Saharanpur. Two more suspects, Shoeb Ansari (24) and Abhishek Kumar (25), were arrested from the Kashimira area.

A search of their residences led to the recovery of 384 grams of heroin concealed in the soles of footwear. The suspects admitted to working as couriers for another gang smuggling drugs from Saharanpur to Mumbai and other parts of the country. Senior Inspector Maloji Shinde stated that investigations are ongoing to trace the gang leaders operating from Haridwar and Saharanpur.