ANC on trail of south Mumbai drug supplier

The Mumbai Anti Narcotics Cell’s investigations into the seizure of heroin worth ₹6 crore from Matunga on Sunday have indicated that the intended recipient of the consignment, a woman from south Mumbai, runs a racket so highly organised that no one seems to have seen her face.

The heroin, seized from Rajasthan resident Mangilal Meghwal, was brought from that State.

Police think the woman deals exclusively in heroin. “Our information indicates that the woman would deal directly with the supplier in Rajasthan and would only speak to the carriers on disposable cell phones. No one seems to know what she even looks like,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivdeep Lande, ANC, said.

Mr. Lande said the Rajasthan-based supplier, identified only as Babubhai, would put the carrier on board a train or a bus to Mumbai and would give him a cell phone. The woman would call him and tell him to come to a particular location. In case she had to call him again, she would use a different number. “The carrier would reach the location and hand over the consignment to a taxi driver. The driver would take the drugs to her, and she would meet him wearing a burqa. Once she had the drugs in her possession, she would supply them to dealers as per the demand,” Mr. Lande said.

The woman has also received drug consignments in Santacruz and Grant Road. On Monday, the ANC sent teams to both these locations, but could not find her. “We have teams at some other locations, and all efforts are under way to trace her. The woman seems to be a history-sheeter with knowledge about crime detection techniques, and is believed to be in her forties,” he said.