Seven members of gang linked to Chhota Shakeel held for kidnapping dealer over failed drug deal

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police crime branch has arrested seven members of an 'international gang' allegedly linked to underworld don Chhota Shakeel, in connection with the kidnapping and assault of a drug dealer and his associate for extortion, officials said on Wednesday.

The drug dealer, identified as Sajid Electricwala from Surat, had been held captive by the accused for nearly a month before being rescued by the crime branch.

His associate, Shabbir, who works as an estate agent, managed to escape on July 10 and approached the Oshiwara police station in Mumbai, prompting the investigation, officials said.

The arrested accused have been identified as Sarvar Khan, Mehtab, Santosh Waghmare, Satish Kadu, Yunus Theverpalli, Tausif Saindi, and Rahul Sawant, police said.

During the probe, police uncovered links between the accused and Chhota Shakeel. On June 12, the gang abducted Electricwala and Shabbir from a hotel in Oshiwara using three vehicles, according to investigators.

The victims were taken to a farmhouse in Raigad district, where they were allegedly assaulted as part of an extortion bid.

Police said the accused moved Electricwala across multiple locations, including Raigad, Nashik, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, in a bid to evade arrest.

Following Shabbir’s complaint, a case of kidnapping and extortion was registered and transferred to the crime branch. Considering the sensitivity of the case, six teams were formed to track down the accused.

All seven accused have previous criminal records involving MCOCA, extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and arms-related cases, officials said.

The investigation further revealed that the kidnapping stemmed from a dispute over a Mephedrone drug deal. Electricwala had allegedly received Rs 50 lakh from the accused for the supply of Mephedrone but failed to deliver the drugs or return the money.

He was arrested by the Mumbai ATS in 2015 with a huge quantity of Mephedrone.

The main accused, Sarvar Khan, was allegedly in contact with Chhota Shakeel's relative, police said, adding that he orchestrated the abduction to recover the funds.

In a coordinated operation, three accused were apprehended from Banda in Uttar Pradesh on July 15, while the remaining four were arrested from Mumbai and Raigad.

Electricwala was rescued during the raids.

Police have recovered vehicles used for kidnapping along with the mobile phones of the accused persons and other electronic gadgets, he said.

A local court remanded the accused persons to police custody till July 19.