Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 13 : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai busted an interstate drug trafficking network, arresting two persons and seizing 1.060 kg of Charas (Cannabis) alongside massive consignments of prescription opioids in back-to-back operations.
In the first operation, NCB Mumbai intercepted a passenger bus plying between Gujarat and Mumbai on August 8 and arrested one N Shaikh in Mumbai.
Authorities seized 1,080 bottles of Codeine Based Cough Syrup (CBCS) weighing 108 kg from his possession. Investigations revealed that the contraband was being transported via inter-state passenger buses to evade detection and was intended for retail distribution across Mumbai, Bhiwandi, and adjoining areas.
During spot interrogation, Shaikh disclosed the identity of a Gujarat-based distributor. A follow-up NCB team immediately proceeded to Gujarat and located the distributor and his godown in Vadodara after extensive field surveillance. A further search led to the seizure of 13,938 CBCS bottles and 12,240 Tramadol tablets.
Investigators found that the batch numbers on multiple CBCS bottles had been tampered with to conceal the trace of diversion. NCB officers also seized several incriminating documents, including fake invoices used for diverting NRx (prescription narcotics) medicines.
Further inquiries revealed that N Shaikh, who primarily operated from the Bhiwandi area in Maharashtra's Thane district, was previously arrested by the Maharashtra Police in a separate case under the NDPS Act. The Gujarat-based distributor is also wanted in prior NDPS cases registered by the police.
In a separate operation on August 12, based on specific intelligence, NCB Mumbai seized 1.060 kg of Charas during a house search of a woman, identified as AJ Shaikh, in Ghatkopar, Mumbai.
The Charas was concealed among household articles and had been procured recently for local distribution. Interrogation revealed that strict preventive drug enforcement actions and the upcoming festive season had significantly curbed the influx of Charas, prompting AJ Shaikh and her associates to procure the contraband to encash the opportunity by selling it at inflated prices.
Other key associates involved in the network have been identified, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend them.
Highlighting the risks associated with these substances, officials noted that Tramadol and CBCS are strictly prescription-based opioid medicines with legitimate medical uses. Tramadol alters the Central Nervous System (CNS) to manage pain, but its non-prescribed intake causes shallow breathing and a rapid heart rate, which can prove fatal.
CBCS, commonly used for cough and cold treatment, contains Codeine, an opioid that affects the CNS and whose overdose can lead to severe respiratory distress, liver and kidney damage, or death.
Investigations into both cases are currently ongoing as part of the NCB's sustained efforts to dismantle organised drug syndicates and target habitual offenders.