Seventeen suspected drug traffickers have been booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in Thane district in Maharashtra, a senior police official said on Friday, reported the PTI.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Kalyan), Atul Zende, the group was allegedly involved in large-scale cannabis (ganja) smuggling, operating a distribution network that spanned from Andhra Pradesh to Maharashtra. The syndicate had a well-established presence in Thane, Kalyan, Badlapur, Solapur, and Pune.

“This marks the first significant operation within the Thane Police Commissionerate where such a large number of drug traffickers have been arrested under MCOCA,” said DCP Zende, as per the PTI.

He identified the gang leader as Gufran Hannan Sheikh, a resident of Titwala-Baneli, and noted that four associates are still at large.

The operation stems from a case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Khadakpada police station two months ago. That investigation initially led to the arrest of 13 individuals from Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Solapur.

“At the time, 62 kilograms of cannabis and several weapons were seized. Subsequent interrogations led to the recovery of an additional 115 kilograms of cannabis, firearms, and vehicles. The total haul is valued at approximately Rs 70 lakh,” the DCP said, as per the PTI.

Five members of the gang have a cumulative 21 criminal cases registered against them in various jurisdictions. Further investigation is currently underway by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kalyanji Ghete.

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Mumbai Crime Branch on Thursday filed a chargesheet under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against 14 arrested and 5 wanted accused in connection with the failed drug deal-kidnapping case.

The case came to light following kidnapping and extortion attempt from a real estate agent after a drug deal had gone wrong.

The investigations had revealed that the kidnapping stemmed from a dispute over a Mephedrone drug deal and the dealer had allegedly received Rs 50 lakh from the accused for the supply of Mephedrone but failed to deliver the drugs or return the money, police said.

According to police, the complainant Shabbir Siddiqui (45) alleged that his friend Sajid Electricwala had taken Rs 50 lakh from one Sarwar Khan to set up an illegal MD drug lab, but neither provided the drugs nor returned the money.

On June 12, 2025, Sarwar Khan, along with Yunus Theverpalli and their accomplices, allegedly kidnapped Shabbir and Sajid from a hotel in Andheri (West) area of suburban Mumbai, police said.

The two were taken to Neral, where they were beaten and held captive, it said.

The police said that on the night of June 14, Shabbir managed to escape through the back window and approached Oshiwara Police Station, fearing for Sajid’s life. Based on his complaint, a case was registered and later transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch`s Unit 3 for further investigation.

Police found that the gang was led by Mohammed Tausif, Hanif Zendi alias Tausif Machandi, who is believed to be the alleged kingpin of the group. The case was found to involve elements of organised crime, leading to the invocation of MCOCA provisions.

After collecting sufficient evidence, the Crime Branch filed the chargesheet before the Special MCOCA Court in Mumbai on October 9. The charges include kidnapping, assault, extortion, criminal conspiracy and MCOCA, etc.

Source