Cops bust drugs cartel, arrest 7, including a British national
MUMBAI: An international drug cartel was busted by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police with the arrest of seven people. The police said among the arrested is a British national, who is the kingpin of the racket and smuggled the drugs into the country via Mozambique - a transshipment point for illicit drug trafficking.
'Acting on a tip-off, our teams on May 28 arrested Kuldeep Singh Harjeet Singh Gozara, 50, a resident of De Vere Gardens, Kensington, an affluent locality in London. He was carrying a trolley bag and when that was checked, our teams found 5.02 kg of cocaine, valued at around ₹52 crore, in it,' said a police officer.
Gozara was picked up from Jogeshwari East where he had come to deliver the consignment. He is originally from Punjab but settled in London, said the police officer. The Worli Unit of the Anti-Narcotics Cell started a probe after the arrest of Gozara to trace his buyers and suppliers.
Following his interrogation, they arrested Shaikh Mohammad Arif Uddin, who stays in Mozambique in East Africa, and is believed to be a Bangladeshi national.
'We also arrested Mahendra Preji, who hails from Diu Island. Our teams further arrested Abdul Samad Afzal Memon, Parvez Afaq and Rishabh Edris,' said the police officer.
Police also seized various codes from them related to hawala payments which are being scrutinized.
'We have found that the accused made several trips to Mozambique and Dubai. Our interrogations are at the primary stage and the seized drugs' value is around ₹52 crore,' said the officer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
36 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Tagore's ancestral home vandalised in Bangladesh over parking dispute
A mob vandalised the historic ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore — the Rabindra Kacharibari — in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district on Sunday, following a dispute over motorcycle parking. According to a report by Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, the incident occurred after a visitor argued with museum staff over his motorcycle parking. According to Mohammad Habibur Rahman, the custodian of Rabindra Kacharibari, a group of young men forced their way into the premises around 11.30 am and caused damage to the auditorium, doors, and windows. While parts of the property were vandalised, the main mansion — which serves as a memorial museum for the Nobel laureate — was not harmed. Rahman said the unexpected violence created panic among visitors present at the time. 'We took shelter during the attack and informed police immediately,' he noted. Staff members tried to stop the group as they moved towards the museum, but the police arrived in time to prevent further damage. He added that around five or six people, including staffers, sustained injuries during the incident. Shahjadpur Police Station's officer-in-charge, Aslam Ali, said preliminary inquiries indicated the violence stemmed from a dispute over motorcycle parking outside the site, the report added. A case was registered against 50–60 individuals, including 10 named accused, on Wednesday, the report added. Police have been deployed to secure the premises, which have been closed to visitors. Tagore connection to site Tagore's connection to the site dates back to the 19th century, when his grandfather, Prince Dwarkanath Tagore, purchased the estate. Rabindranath Tagore later spent extended periods at the mansion, during which he composed parts of several literary works. Notably, he wrote Amar Shonar Bangla, which went on to become the national anthem of the country. String of targeted attacks Bangladesh has seen a spate of attacks on cultural and historical landmarks in recent months. Among them was the vandalism of the Mujibnagar Memorial Complex, a key site linked to the country's Liberation War. Home and statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's founding leader and first Prime Minister, were also defaced or destroyed in several parts of the country. Pre-planned attack, says BJP The incident has drawn strong condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Sambit Patra, alleging that the attack was 'preplanned' and orchestrated by radical groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam. He also criticised Bangladesh's interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, for its delayed response. 'According to media reports, this house was recently attacked in a pre-planned act of violence, carried out by members of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam. It is unacceptable that such an international museum was not protected. So far, the interim government of Bangladesh has not taken any action. The Bharatiya Janata Party condemns this attack strongly,' Patra said. It is known to all of you that on Tuesday, Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home located in Bangladesh was attacked and suffered significant damage. According to media reports, this house was recently attacked in a pre-planned act of violence, carried out by members of… — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) June 12, 2025 Similarly, BJP MLA and West Bengal Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, termed the vandalism an attack on Bengal's cultural soul. He claimed the act was carried out by supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir. 'This is a wake-up call for the Hindus of West Bengal. When extremist forces gain ground, they spare no one; not even a figure revered worldwide like Tagore. The attack on Kachari Bari is not just an assault on a building; it's an attack on our shared heritage, our identity, and our values,' Adhikari said.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
In UK, Yunus says no direct communication with British PM
Bangladesh interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said that he has had no direct communication with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in connection with the recovery of stolen money allegedly under the previous Hasina regime in Dhaka. Downing Street sources indicated that no formal meeting had been agreed during the Chief Adviser's visit to London this week. Yunus told The Financial Times' newspaper that the UK has a moral responsibility to assist Bangladesh in tracing and retrieving funds stolen by the previous regime and allegedly funnelled into Britain. I have no direct conversation with him, Yunus told the Financial Times' with reference to Starmer. I have no doubt he would support us. This is stolen money We need the support from the people of Great Britain, he said. The 84-year-old Nobel Laureate took over as the head of the interim government after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a massive student-led protest in Bangladesh in August last year. She is believed to be living in exile in India since then. In December, an anti-graft panel in Bangladesh had launched an investigation against Hasina and her family in connection with the allegations of embezzling USD 5 billion in the Rooppur nuclear power plant. Yunus, who is currently in the UK on a four-day visit, is on a mission to bring out more enthusiastic support, the Chief Adviser added. Hasina's niece and Labour party MP in UK, Tulip Siddiq, had resigned as a minister in the Starmer Cabinet in the wake of allegations against her family benefitting from Hasina's Awami League regime. She has denied any wrongdoing and had sought her own meeting with Yunus during his UK visit. This is a legal issue a legal process. It's not personal involving me, said Yunus, refusing any meeting with Siddiq. On June 1, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal indicted Hasina, in absentia, and two others on several charges, including mass murder, for their alleged role in the violent crackdown on student-led protests last year.
United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
TMC, BJP flay vandalism of ancestral home of Tagore in Bangladesh
Kolkata, June 12 (UNI) West Bengal ruling Trinamool Congress and the principal opposition BJP on Thursday strongly condemned the vandalism of the ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district. In a statement, the TMC said 'We strongly condemn the vandalism of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district.' The ruling party said, "Gurudev is a symbol of Bengal's cultural heritage and a global icon of literature and humanism. Such acts of disrespect are an affront to every Bengali's identity and pride," and urged the Central government to take cognizance of this grave incident and initiate bilateral dialogue to ensure that the concerned authorities in Bangladesh act swiftly and bring the culprits to justice." Our icons are not collateral damage for mob fury," the TMC concluded. In a separate statement, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar, while condemning the vandalism said " Shameful! outrageous! even the ancestral home of Nobel laureate and global icon Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore is not spared — vandalised under the rule of Mohammad Yunus in Bangladesh! In Shahjadpur of Sirajganj." He alleged that a mob of radical miscreants stormed into Tagore's historic Kachharibari, raising anti-Tagore slogans and vandalising the ancestral home of the poet, whose composition Janagana and Amar Sonar Bangla are the national anthems of India and Bangladesh, respectively. "They smashed windows, doors, and furniture, desecrating a priceless monument of Bengali literature, culture, and heritage. This attack is not just on a building — it is a direct assault on the soul of Bengali identity, on the legacy of free thought, and the very symbol of art and intellect. And yet, the Yunus administration remains silent. One question echoes loud — is Tagore now a 'criminal' too in Bangladesh, simply because he was a Hindu?" the Union Education Minister of states said. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was more vocal while condemning the vandalism by the " jihadies". " The sacred legacy of our most precious Kobi Gourab Rabindranath Thakur was desecrated in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, where a mob led by BNP and Chhatra Shibir activists vandalized the historic Rabindra Kachari Bari. This shameful & utterly disgraceful act of destruction targeted a site that embodies Bengal's cultural soul and Tagore's universal message of humanity." Adhikari said on his X handle. He said windows shattered, furniture ruined, and a global icon's memory insulted. "I raised the issue during my speech at the Mahaprabhu Jagannath Dev's Snan Yatra event at ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations); Kolkata, yesterday. " This is a wake-up call for the Hindus of West Bengal. When extremist forces gain ground, they spare no one, not even a figure revered worldwide like Tagore. The attack on Kachari Bari is not just an assault on a building; it's an attack on our shared heritage, our identity, and our values," Adhikari said as he posted the video clips of vandalism in Bangladesh. UNI PC BD PRS
