Contractors colluded with Mumbai civic body officials: ED on Mithi desilting scam
Further examination has brought to light the misuse of official positions by BMC officials, particularly in the procurement and use of specialised machinery for desilting operations. These included Silt Pusher and Amphibious Pontoon Machines, incorporated into tenders during 2021-2022. The misconduct extended to favouring certain contractors through manipulated tender processes.Previously, the ED conducted search operations at 18 locations on June 6 as part of this investigation. The total proceeds of crime seized or frozen in this matter now stand at approximately Rs 49.8 crore.The ED's recent search actions have also involved questioning notable figures such as actor Dino Morea and his brother, as well as targeting premises linked to several contractors and a BMC engineer. The investigation's scope appears to be widening, aiming to hold all involved parties accountable for their roles in the scam.- EndsMust Watch
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Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
MD seizure from Mysuru: Accused used shirts' photos as code to communicate
The alleged mastermind of the mephedrone (MD) manufacturing racket, whose factory in Mysuru was raided by police, used pictures of shirts as code for communication between its members, Mumbai police said. The racket operated in two groups with one responsible for manufacturing the drugs in Mysuru, while the other one in Mumbai was involved in distribution of the contraband. In April this year, the Sakinaka police had arrested three people and seized over 4 kg MD and other raw materials worth Rs 8.04 crore from Vasai in Palghar. One of the key accused, Salim Imtiyaz Shaikh alias Salim Langda, who was on the run, was arrested on July 25. Shaikh had revealed that he had brought the drugs from Mysuru in Karnataka. Last week, the Sakinaka police raided the factory in Mysuru and seized Mephedrone worth Rs 381 crore and arrested four people. During questioning, Shaikh also revealed the details about the racket's functioning. 'The mastermind ensured that the members of the both groups did not know each other and maintained secrecy to reduce the risk and coordinated using pictures of the shirts,'' said a senior police officer, who is part of the probe. The police have not revealed the name of the mastermind as he is still at large. Police said that the supplier group from Mumbai and manufacturing group from Mysuru used to meet in Bengaluru. The member of one group would identify a person from the other group with the colour of the shirt they were wearing, a picture of which will be shared on their WhatsApp group, the officer said. 'Once their shirt's colour matched with the pictures shared to them, the manufacturer hands over the contraband to the supplier,' the senior police officer added. After collecting the contraband, they return to Mumbai by bus, police said, adding that the contraband was then distributed through peddlers in the city. Among the four arrested from Karnataka, one is from Mumbai, two are from Gujarat and one is from Mysore. During further probe, the police also found the gang members rented a godown in Powai where the syndicate stored the narcotics. Police also raided and seized 22 kilograms of MD from there. Godown owner booked The Sakinaka police registered a case against godown owner, Jitendra Rajendra Sharma, 56, for renting the place to the accused without a police verification. A team from Intelligence Bureau (IB) also visited the Sakinaka police station on Monday and interrogated the accused to find out if they have any links with the underworld, said an officer. Police also suspect that the factory could be connected with members of drug lord Salim Dola.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
ED searches ex-IAS officer's residence in Rs 105cr SCERT scam
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Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Rs 7cr heroin & Yaba tablets seized in Cachar, 5 held
1 2 Silchar: Cachar police seized heroin and Yaba tablets valued around Rs 7 crore and arrested five persons in two separate operations, officials said on Tuesday. Cachar SP Cachar Numal Mahatta said acting on tip-offs, police teams carried out raids in Sonabarighat (under Silchar Sadar police station) and Hmarkhawlien (under Lakhipur police station) on Monday. The raids led to the recovery of 18 soap cases containing around 216g heroin and 20,000 Yaba tablets. Police seized two vehicles used in transporting the contraband. Five persons were arrested in connection with the seizures. They were identified as Ayesha Begum Chaudhary, Muslima Begum Mazumder, Jalal Ahmed Chaudhary, Rabijul Ali Chaudhary — all residents of Dholai in Cachar — and Lalpu Singsit of Kukibasti in Karbi Anglong district. "Ayesha is the wife of Jalal Ahmed Chaudhary, while Muslima is married to Rabijul Ali. The arrests and seizures were made in the presence of independent witnesses. Further investigations are on," SP Mahatta said. He added that the seized narcotics have a combined street value of around Rs 7 crore in the illegal market. Lauding the successful crackdown, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated Cachar police in a post on social media.
