Mumbai, Mar 26 (IANS): In separate swoops, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has nabbed three notorious drug peddlers from different parts of Mumbai and seized a large quantity of drugs, Indian and foreign currencies besides luxury vehicles from them, an official said.
The accused were identified as Sharukh Khan alias Bullet, Shadab Shaikh alias Batata and Rafique Chand Shaikh, belonging to the gang of Danish Merchant, alias Chikna, said NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.
Following a tipoff, a NCB team raided a location in western suburbs and seized more than 2 kg Mephedrone, 160 gm Ephedrine, Rs 115,500 cash, plus various amounts in foreign currencies of Iran, Poland and Oman, two vehicles - a Toyota Fortuner and a Hyundai i20 - besides a currency note counting machine.
Both Khan and Shaikh are history sheeters know to operate in the western suburbs, and have various offences against them. Khan is facing charges of dangerous driving, and Shaikh has been booked under the NDPS Act in a previous drug-related case.
The NCB also raided the den of a notorious peddler Merchant in Dongri, south Mumbai, and nabbed an associate along with a commercial quantity of codeine-based syrup. Merchant's gang is said to be active in south Mumbai, said Wankhede.
While Merchant got a whiff of the raid and managed to slink away, the NCB nabbed one of his close cronies Rafique Chand Shaikh with 2.68 kg of the drug-based cough syrup.
The NCB is probing further to find out their suppliers, financers, the foot-soldiers who deliver it to the final customers all over the city.