Man Arrested with Drugs Near Surat Navratri Event

Surat : In a major crackdown, Surat’s Special Operation Group (SOG) arrested an individual in possession of 352.070 grams of Mephedrone (MD) drugs near a large Navratri celebration in the Adajan area of Surat city. The accused, identified as Mohammad Asif Abdul Rasheed Sheikh, was caught with drugs worth Rs 35.20 lakh before he could supply them within the city. The arrest has raised concerns over the potential targeting of Navratri festivities, with police launching an investigation to determine the intended recipients of the drugs.

The arrest took place half a kilometer from a prominent Navratri garba event. Hindu organizations in Surat had previously raised alarms about drug peddlers attempting to supply narcotics near festivals to target young attendees. Acting on these concerns, the SOG apprehended Sheikh, sparking a broader investigation into whether the drugs were intended for the festival-goers.

Sheikh, a resident of the Limbayat area in Surat, is originally from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh. During interrogation, he confessed to smuggling drugs from Mumbai with the intent to sell them in Surat. He admitted that he wasn’t engaged in any legitimate business and had resorted to dealing drugs to support his lifestyle and make easy money. The SOG had been tracking his activities, and Sheikh was arrested before he could complete another drug procurement trip to Mumbai.

DCP Rajdeep Singh Nakum of the SOG stated that Sheikh’s arrest has opened up several avenues of investigation. “We suspect the accused was planning to supply the drugs to youths attending the Navratri festival,” Nakum said. “A detailed inquiry is underway to identify the individuals or groups he intended to distribute the drugs to.”

The investigation has also revealed that Sheikh sourced the drugs from a Mumbai-based supplier named Yogesh Gogle, from the Sayan area. The police are currently working to track down Gogle and determine the full extent of the drug network operating between Mumbai and Surat. Further interrogation of Sheikh during his remand will focus on whether the drugs were specifically aimed at being distributed during Navratri or if they were part of a broader retail operation.

Authorities are now doubling down on efforts to ensure that such incidents do not disrupt the festive spirit of Navratri, a time when thousands of people gather for garba events across the city. The SOG has increased its vigilance, with further raids and arrests expected as the investigation progresses.