The Surat Crime Branch busted an interstate alleged drug smuggling operation on Monday, after receiving information that a large quantity of MD (mephedrone) was being transported by car from Vadodara, Gujarat to Mumbai, NDTV reported.
Acting on the intelligence, police intercepted a suspicious car near a toll post on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Police searched the vehicle and recovered 977 grams of mephedrone, a synthetic drug commonly referred to as MD. The seized consignment was estimated to be worth around Rs 30 lakh.
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Police arrested 41-year-old Mansi Sayed, identified as a former air hostess, and her alleged aide, 20-year-old Sohail Suleman Shaikh. Both of them were in the vehicle when it was intercepted.
NDTV reported that Sayed had previously worked as cabin crew with Malaysian Airlines and had travelled to several countries during her aviation career. The two accused reportedly live in Mumbai's Santacruz area and have known each other for several years.
The operation began when an intelligence input was received by the Surat Crime Branch about MD being transported from Vadodara towards Mumbai. Apart from the drugs, officers found multiple mobile phones, plastic bags and containers inside the vehicle. These items were allegedly intended for packaging the drugs, added the report.
Sayed and Shaikh told investigators that they had rented a car in Mumbai and travelled to Vadodara specifically to collect the consignment. They allegedly received the consignment from an unidentified woman near Vadodara railway station.
According to the report, investigators found evidence suggesting that Sayed had been in contact with a drug network since 2015. She had allegedly been arrested previously in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in 2021, after police found approximately 100 grams of drugs in her possession.
According to the police, cited by NDTV, the investigation in her 2021 case had also revealed alleged links with drug supply networks operating in different parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Investigators are now examining whether her previous contacts are connected to the latest alleged smuggling operation.
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