The Surat Crime Branch arrested five individuals in two separate operations on Friday night, seizing 1.5 kg of MD drugs, valued at approximately Rs1.53 crore.
The first incident occurred when Crime Branch officers, patrolling Sayana Road in Surat, noticed two young men on a bike who, upon seeing the police, abandoned bags containing drugs worth Rs97.37 lakh and fled into a nearby sugarcane field. The bags were later confirmed to contain MD (Methylenedioxy-Methamphetamine) after the arrival of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team.
Six hours later, the police apprehended the two individuals, identified as Tamir Shaikh and Sahil Diwan, and seized their phones and a motorcycle. Shaikh had previously been arrested in connection with crimes like chain snatching, theft, and physical assault. The Crime Branch interrogated the duo regarding the source and supplier of the drugs.
The investigation took another turn when intelligence indicated that three individuals from Mumbai were traveling to Surat with more drugs. Acting swiftly on this tip-off, the Crime Branch arrested Mohammad Tousif, Irfan Pathan, and Arif Qureshi, recovering MD drugs worth Rs55.48 lakh and Rs53,750 in cash. Upon interrogation, the trio revealed they had purchased the drugs from an unknown supplier in Nalasopara, Mumbai.
The Surat Crime Branch has now registered two separate cases and is continuing the investigation to unravel the full scope of the drug racket and identify additional members involved in this illegal operation.