'Hashish King' lands in police net

A youth, who shot to fame in the narcotics supply business in the city, has been finally nabbed in an operation launched by the officials of the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Police.

In a trap laid by ANC officials, twenty-four-year-old Ansar Shaikh, who was wanted by the police for supplying hashish in Mumbai, was picked up on September 26, when he came to deliver the contraband in central Mumbai.

Shaikh entered the narcotics supply business some time ago and soon became a big name as he always hoodwinked the police and agencies through his modus-operandi of working with a network of accomplices. Soon, Shaikh gained notoriety in the drug supply circuit and was called 'Hashish King'.

"We had been trying to nab Shaikh for a long time. We had information about him supplying hashish to clients and peddlers in the city. But every time we laid a trap, he would flee as he had a database of police vehicles and operated with a network of accomplices," said a police officer.

He added, "Every time Shaikh went for a delivery, he would take along with him four to five accomplices who kept a watch and alerted him to any suspicious movement in the vicinity. As soon as Shaikh was alerted, he would immediately flee."

On the day of his arrest, Shaikh had come to deliver 250grams of hashish near Saki Naka, when ANC officials got a tip-off. Quickly, the officials set a trap. This time, the ANC used a new team of sleuths and very few vehicles. This helped nab Shaikh red-handed.

ANC officials believe that Shaikh's arrest could lead them to other peddlers and drug suppliers from other states.