Mumbai Police Bust Multi-Crore Drug Lab in Andheri Chawl; Gujarat Fugitive Arrested
Police inspector Sanjeev Dhumal said the search and raid on the Andheri hideout led to the confiscation of specialised equipment used to manufacture synthetic drugs.
Published : April 15, 2026 at 3:21 AM IST
Mumbai: Mumbai Police have conducted a massive raid on the synthetic drugs and their manufacturing process by closing down an illegal production plant of Mephedrone (MD) operating from a small room in one of the city's chawls.
In this case, the accused arrested has been identified as Mohammed Arif Mohammed Ilyas Shaikh, who was once on bail in Gujarat. This MD factory was situated at Bhaskar Chawl in Sahar Road, Andheri East.
The value of narcotics that came out of this crackdown was very high, but surprisingly, the accused paid only Rs 13,000 per month for renting this small factory room. It was during a routine police operation that the police detained a person acting suspiciously and cracked the racket.
Following the detention of 15.44 grams of MD along with interrogation, the Andheri hideout came into the picture. According to Police Inspector Sanjeev Dhumal, the search and raid on the Andheri hideout led to the confiscation of specialised equipment used to manufacture synthetic drugs.
In order to avoid local detection, the syndicate avoided utilising the Mumbai markets altogether and supplied all its products elsewhere via an external network. An organised gang was exposed during investigations.
While Mohammad Arif, accused in more than 15 criminal cases and the mastermind who escaped from the Gujarat police in 2023, handled the financial accounting of the business, his wife, Nasreen, took care of the rest.
As such, ₹26 lakh in her bank account was frozen by the police. Thirdly, yet another member of the conspiracy, Rizwan Ahmed Liyaqat Ali, was arrested in the Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, where he had succeeded in escaping from the city.
While Mohammad Arif is now in the custody of the Gujarat police, his wife and accomplice are now under judicial custody at the Andheri Magistrate's court. The arrest was made when the crimes related to drugs became more prominent in Mumbai, as several people lost their lives due to overdose at a recent music event.
