The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two Mumbai-based drug traffickers, Bhavesh Chauhan alias Lalu and Shoaib Ashraf Pathan alias Batla, from Lucknow. The duo, who were reportedly planning to escape to Nepal, had taken refuge in the city.
Acting on intelligence shared by Maharashtra Police, STF teams traced the suspects near Charbagh Railway Station. The operation, supervised by Deputy SP Dharmesh Kumar Shahi, led to the arrest of the accused at a tempo stand.
During interrogation, both men confessed to being part of an organised inter-state drug trafficking network. According to police, the duo, along with their associates, were involved in manufacturing and distributing brown sugar using easily available chemical substances. Their network primarily targeted Mumbai’s high-end pubs, hotels, and party circuits over the past four to five years.
Officials further revealed that the accused fled Mumbai following a major seizure of narcotics in the Vasai-Virar region on February 5. Both are currently in custody, and further investigation is underway to trace other members of the network.
