Heroin worth over Rs 13 crore seized in Thane; man with underworld links among 3 held
Thane (PTI): Police in Maharashtra’s Thane city have seized more than 4 kg of heroin worth over Rs 13 crore and arrested three persons in connection with the drug during a special operation, officials said.
One of the arrested accused allegedly had links with Mumbai’s underworld, and his name had also cropped up during the probe into the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, a senior official said.
In a crackdown in the early hours of February 3, a crime branch team seized heroin, a highly addictive drug, valued at Rs 6.9 crore, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amarsingh Jadhav on Friday evening.
Police nabbed 47-year-old Wajahat Sayeed near a school in the Diva area with the contraband. His interrogation led to the arrest of his associate, Mohammad Mahadik (67), identified by investigators as the primary supplier.
Police said Mahadik was an accused who fled India shortly after the 1993 blasts. After absconding for nearly 22 years, during which he worked in Muscat and Oman under a fake identity, he slipped back into the country, DCP Jadhav said.
He was a well-connected figure in the 1990s underworld, police said.
“Mahadik has a long criminal history... and he had good relations with all the gangs then, including Dawood Ibrahim and others,” an official said. His prior criminal record includes murder, kidnapping, extortion, and a previous arrest for using a fraudulent passport.
In another haul, a crime branch team intercepted a 50-year-old autorickshaw driver, identified as Fardin Gulzar Mulla, in the Ghodbunder area on February 1 and seized heroin valued at more than Rs 6.68 crore.
More than 4 kg of heroin, worth over Rs 13 crore, has been collectively seized in both cases, police said.
A probe is underway to ascertain the source of the drug and the intended customers, as well as to identify other members of the drug supply network, said DCP Jadhav.
He added that cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in connection with the seizures.
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Rupee falls 32 paise to all-time low of 95.20 against US dollar
Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI): The rupee depreciated 32 paise to an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, weighed down by elevated Brent crude oil prices, hovering around USD 122 per barrel, and strong American currency.
Forex traders said the USD/INR pair may see further downside, as rising crude oil prices are likely to sharply impact India's import costs, while concerns over potential wider conflict in West Asia are fuelling investor anxiety.
Meanwhile, the US dollar added to gains after the US FED Reserve kept rates unchanged. Safe-haven demand was also boosted by another diplomatic setback between Washington and Tehran.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.01 against the US dollar, then lost some ground and touched an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a fall of 32 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee depreciated 20 paise to close at an all-time low of 94.88 against the US dollar.
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"The main effect on the rupee has been from the rising oil prices, which touched USD 120 per barrel and looked headed for further upside as the US continues with its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran does not allow any ship/tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.01 per cent higher at 98.96.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 3.16 per cent at USD 121.76 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex tumbled 821.79 points to 76,674.57 in early trade, while the Nifty dived 287.3 points to 23,890.35.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 2,468.42 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue with their sale of Indian Equities and debt (the yield touched 7 per cent on Wednesday) and are also dollar buyers consistently," Bhansali added.
