Mumbai Police Seize 3 kg Cocaine Worth Rs 15 Crore from Dongri Guest House, Three Held

Dongri Police in Mumbai have uncovered a major narcotics trafficking operation with the seizure of 3 kg of cocaine worth Rs 15 crore from a guest house in the area, acting on a tip-off received earlier this week.

Three men linked to an Ethiopia-based smuggling syndicate have been arrested so far, officials said on Friday.

According to investigators, on September 2, ATS officer API Parimal Patil received specific information that a large quantity of cocaine had been stored inside Sabina Guest House under Dongri Police Station limits. Acting on the tip-off, Senior PI Gonduram Bangar formed a team comprising PI Mininath Walekar, APIs Anil Rokade and Patil, along with several constables. The team raided the premises early the next morning, recovering three packets of high-grade cocaine weighing 3 kg.

A case under Sections 8(c), 21(c) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered at Dongri Police Station. “During the probe, police traced the supply chain to an Ethiopia-based network and identified the main handler as 26-year-old Tarun Kapoor, who they say had smuggled the contraband into India with the help of two associates, Sahil Attari (26) and Himanshu Shah (25),” said Dr Pravin Munde, DCP Zone 1.

Dr Munde also said Kapoor was already lodged in a Chennai jail in connection with a separate NCB case. A production warrant was obtained from the court, following which a Dongri Police team travelled to Chennai, took him into custody, and brought him to Mumbai for arrest in the present case. The other two accused have also been booked for their alleged roles in the trafficking chain.

Police said that the group had been sourcing cocaine from Ethiopia and distributing it across major Indian cities. The Dongri consignment, they said, had been readied for delivery when the police raid disrupted the operation. Further investigation is under way to track the network’s financiers, routes, and possible local distributors, officers added.