Mumbai Police bust gang supplying drugs from Himachal Pradesh via train

Sagar Rana

The Versova police busted a gang that was supplying drugs from Himachal Pradesh to Mumbai via train. During the investigation, the police found that the accused gang was hiding drugs by putting them in bandages on their hands and legs. The cops also received information that this gang would come to Mumbai every week in a general compartment of an express train, pretending to be injured.

The two accused were identified as Sagar Rana, a resident of Manali, Himachal Pradesh, and Imtiyaz Shaikh, a resident of Versova, Mumbai. The cops stated that this gang would supply drugs from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi and Mumbai via railway. The police seized around 2 kg of Charas (Cannabis Concentrate) from the accused Rana.

The accused, Sagar Rana, and his gang are drug suppliers operating from Jerry Baginda village in Manali. They would produce drugs at home in the villages, then travel to Mumbai every week via train and government buses, which are always crowded. They would wrap their hands and legs in bandages, hiding Charas packets inside. About 10-15 people would board the same train from Joginder Nagar Railway station near Manali, each carrying at least 3-4 kg of drugs hidden in their bandages.

A police officer said, "On March 2, the accused came to Mumbai from Manali carrying more than 5 kg of drugs. First, he delivered the drugs in Delhi, then boarded another train to Mumbai. Around 11 pm, he reached Versova and met another accused, Imtiyaz Shaikh, a drug peddler in Versova."

The Versova police received a tip-off about the arrival of the accused Rana with drugs and his meeting with another accused, Shaikh.

Under the guidance of Senior Inspector Ganesh Pawar, the Versova police team comprising PI Shrikant Nichal, ATC officer API Amit Jadhav, constables Khondge, Khairnar, and Pathan, as well as the detection team Jadhav, rushed to Acchutrao Patwardhan Marg at Four Bungalows in Versova. The accused Rana was carrying around 2 kg of Charas in a plastic bag and hiding it inside his t-shirt when he met the other accused, Imtiyaz Shaikh.

Both accused were taken into custody from the spot, and the police recovered around 2 kg of Charas from Rana and 500 grams from Imtiyaz Shaikh. Both accused were arrested and remanded to police custody.

During the investigation, the accused Rana revealed how they had been supplying drugs for many years via train in general compartments from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi and Mumbai. This gang has many drug peddler contacts in Mumbai and Delhi.

A police officer said, "This time, around 8 people came to Mumbai from this gang with drugs hidden in bandages. We are tracing all of them with the help of CCTV cameras. We have arrested the accused Rana and Imtiyaz Shaikh, and they are in police custody."