12 April,2024 05:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Faisal Tandel
(From Left) Kailash Rajput, ‘MD pioneer’, Arif Bhujwala, Prem Prakash Singh, Lalit Patil and Baby Patankar, the drug queen
Crackdowns on drug rings by the authorities in recent years have brought the spotlight on those involved in the synthetic drug supply chain. mid-day looks at five major figures from the world of narcotics whose activities highlight the fiercely profit-driven nature of the trade.
Investigations brought to the fore the challenge of cracking down on drug syndicates, which receive support from political and police networks. Authorities faced the daunting task of dismantling this nexus, but they prioritised cleaning up their departments first, addressing any loopholes within the system. This strategy enabled them to systematically target the entire network, from the individuals involved to the factories producing the drugs.
Here are some of the major figures who have been found responsible for fuelling the city's drug problem.
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The first name that comes to mind when discussing mephedrone (MD) is Kailash Rajput, 52, the kingpin who is said to have introduced the synthetic drug to India, according to sources from central and state agencies. A senior official even called him a pioneer of mephedrone in Maharashtra. Rajput's came to prominence when he was arrested by the Air Intelligence Unit in 2013 with ketamine that he meant to supply abroad. He was jailed but was acquitted because of a court order. The first thing he did was leave the country and then it was business as usual.
"Rajput, who is believed to be in London, supplies party drugs such as ephedrine, ketamine, meow meow (MD) and fentanyl, which are manufactured in India but financed by him," said a police officer. Ephedrine and ecstasy (MDMA) are used by partygoers in the city and state. The arrest of Rajput's brother Kamal by the Mumbai Crime Branch confirmed suspicions that his sibling was operating out of London. These inputs will be used by central agencies to bring Rajput back.
In 2016, Rajput's name came up again when the Thane police busted a mephedrone racket allegedly involving Vicky Goswami and Mamta Kulkarni. "He is absconding and the Delhi special cell, DRI, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and others are on the lookout for him. The Mumbai Crime Branch has put out a look-out circular against him," said a police officer. Sources said Rajput was even intercepted by the UK police and later released over lack of evidence. "He is married and his children study in Dubai. He has four brothers," said an officer.
Investigating agencies have found that Rajput was manufacturing drugs across Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh while running the operation from UK. "The mephedrone was then supplied using various routes and techniques. From Andhra, it was supplied to Satara and then to Pune, that too via car. Right from manufacturing to distribution, all was carried out by Rajput from UK. He has visited Dubai and Germany," said sources from the Crime Branch.
Arif Bhujwala, a kingpin from Dongri, established an MD laboratory at his residence, less than a kilometre away from the Dongri police station. He was arrested by the NCB from Navi Mumbai on January 20, 2021, from Raigad district in connection with a drugs case. A week prior to his arrest, the NCB reached Bhujwala's Dongri residence to conduct a raid, only to find he had fled. Bhujwala is believed to be a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees.
According to the NCB, Bhujwala became one of the biggest MD suppliers in Mumbai and across the country over the past five years. NCB sources said that as per the agency's initial investigation, it was found that he invested in property worth R100 crore and also owned multiple high-end cars and bikes, some of which have been seized. Bhujwala had been on the run after NCB busted his drug laboratory at Dongri.
His name cropped up during an interrogation of his associate, the notorious drug supplier Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan, a relative of the late underworld don Karim Lala. After Pathan's arrest, the agency recovered MD and a pistol from him. After questioning him, NCB raided Bhujwala's house and recovered an automatic revolver and Rs 21,825,600 in cash. The agency also busted a drug laboratory on the fourth floor of the same building and seized 5.69 kg of MD, 1 kg of methamphetamine and 6.126 kg of ephedrine.
NCB also found packing material, utensils, weighing machines and other apparatus used to manufacture drugs from the lab. NCB also seized a diary, in which codes and some of the networks of the drug cartel were mentioned. It also found some brown sugar packets at his residence. After inquiring with the accused, it was learnt that Bhujwala exported brown sugar, MD and other materials by air, said NCB sources.
"According to the diary, drugs worth Rs 90 lakh had been sold just a few days before the arrest. During the investigation, it came to light that he had also invested money in real estate," added the officer. The gang allegedly supplied drugs to the UAE, Malaysia and Thailand and Bhujwala allegedly has links with drug networks operated by members of the Dawood gang in West Asia and Europe, the officer said. The NCB arrested five members involved in the drug racket run by Pathan and Bhujwala including disc jockey, Rohit Verma alias Rahul Verma, and a jeweller from Bhiwandi.
The word âchachi', used to describe low-grade MD, is due to Shashikala âBaby' Patankar, the drug queen who introduced mephedrone to Mumbai. Baby's life had been marked by tragedy and hardship. Despite her difficult circumstances, her rise to notoriety and eventual downfall paints a haunting picture of survival and desperation.
From selling milk to working as a housemaid and at a fish stall, the Worli Koliwada resident took on various jobs to make ends meet. Baliram Pujari, known as Ballu Mama, played a pivotal role in introducing Baby to the world of drugs, particularly brown sugar. As a close relative and a compulsive user and peddler of charas, he facilitated her entry into the drug trade. Moreover, the relatively lower police scrutiny faced by women involved in drug peddling in Mumbai's slums during the 1980s made Baby a valuable asset for the ring. This dynamic allowed them to operate with less suspicion compared to their male counterparts.
Baby's involvement in the drug trade led to immense wealth and property ownership, but it was not without its consequences. The mysterious death of her sister-in-law, Bharti, in 1993, followed by the demise of her husband two years later, left a trail of tragedy in her wake. Despite her rising wealth, Baby faced multiple drug possession arrests in the early 2000s, prompting her to adopt the risky strategy of becoming a police informant.
This dual role allowed her to maintain her drug empire while also aiding law enforcement in apprehending other dealers. However, her reliance on police connections eventually led to her downfall when her alleged lover, Constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe, was arrested with a large quantity of drugs. This arrest marked the end of Baby's reign. Her story is a cautionary tale about the consequences of involvement in illegal activities.
An intensive manhunt involving 100 police personnel across Mumbai, Gujarat and Delhi culminated in the capture of Baby on April 22, 2015, as she attempted to enter Mumbai by bus. This event marked the definitive end of her drug empire, bringing closure to her tumultuous journey in the illicit drug trade. Baby resurfaced on the Mumbai police's radar following allegations of cheating a customs clearing agent of Rs 1.98 crore. The accusation involves promising to sell 5 kg of gold to the agent at discounted rates in October 2021.
Lalit Patil, alleged to be a major MD racketeer in Maharashtra, was arrested by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police in December 2020 and lodged in Yerawada Central Prison. He ran an illegal drug ring from Pune's Sassoon Hospital where he was admitted in June last year. Patil escaped from custody on October 2, sparking allegations that two cabinet ministers helped him flee.
On September 30 last year, the Pune city police arrested Subhash Janaki Mandal, 29, an aide of Patil. He was arrested near the hospital with 1.71 kg of MD, worth Rs 2.14 crore. Mandal, during the investigation, revealed that he was working for Patil and was looking for his supply.
The police found that Patil was running the network using two mobile phones that were found during a search at the hospital. With the help of Rauf Rahim Shaikh 19, a worker at the hospital canteen, Patil used to supply drugs to Mandal.
After Patil's escape, the Sakinaka police, under the supervision of DCP Zone X, Datta Nalawade, raided a factory in the MIDC area of Nashik and seized a large amount of drugs. The factory is believed to be owned by Patil's brother Bhushan, who was arrested in late October from the Nepal border by the Pune police.
Prem Prakash Singh came to Mumbai in 1996 hoping to capitalise on his MSc in Organic Chemistry and MBA degrees. He excelled in chemical production but a Telegram message from a drug dealer in 2019 changed his life. The Dahisar resident, who lived in a flat in Nalasopara gifted to him by his father-in-law, switched to making MD. In 2022, the Mumbai Crime Branch's anti-narcotic cell busted a drug haul worth Rs 2,500 crore and Singh emerged as the sole manufacturer. His assets include 10 flats, five shops, land parcels, godowns, Rs 35-crore investments, R5 crore bank deposits, benami properties worth crores.
Singh's journey from freelancing with chemical manufacturers to owning his own firm, Shreya Chemicals, reflects his ambition. However, his trajectory took a dark turn when he entered the world of drug manufacturing. Leveraging his network, Singh had expanded his operations, collaborating with individuals like Kiran Kumar, who facilitated large-scale production of drugs like MD. Singh's transformation underscores the complexities of the pharmaceutical sector and the dangers of criminal involvement within it.
It seems Singh was running a significant mephedrone operation, partnering with one Giriraj Dikshit to produce and distribute the drug. Despite his wealth, Singh led a modest lifestyle, investing mainly in properties. His cautious approach, limiting transactions and changing delivery locations, helped him evade law enforcement. The fact that large cash deposits went unnoticed by banks is concerning and suggests potential lapses in financial monitoring.
2021
Year Arif Bhujwala was arrested
