'Drugs trafficked in BMWs': Shraddha Kapoor's brother grilled, Orry up next in ₹252-crore narcotics case

SIddhanth Kapoor, comrade of Bollywood worker Shraddha Kapoor, appeared before the Anti-Narcotics cadre (ANC) in Ghatkopar country of Maharashtra's bombay on Tuesday in connection with the investigation into a ₹252-crore drugs case in which popular social media personality Orhan Awatramani alias 'Orry' has also been summoned.While Siddhanth Kapoor was asked to appear on November 25 to record his statement, Orry was called on November 26 after he failed to appear last week as he was out of the city.The case in which Siddhanth Kapoor and Orry have been summoned for questioning dates back to August 2022, when the crime branch and the Ghatkopar ANC arrested Shaikh from Nagpada, and recovered mephedrone (MD) worth ₹1.19 lakh from him.Several other alleged drug peddlers were arrested subsequently, while the big breakthrough came in March 2024, when a mephedrone-manufacturing facility in a farm in Sangli district was busted.'Lavish parties, BMWs and Mercs used for trafficking'Apart from Siddhanth Kapoor and Orry, the names of a drug trafficker recently deported from the UAE - Mohammad Salim Mohammad Suhail Shaikh - in connection with the case claimed Nora Fatehi, Shraddha Kapoor, film producers Abbas-Mustan, rapper Loka, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Zeeshan Siddique used to attend lavish parties in Dubai and Mumbai he used to arrange.The crime branch is yet to verify the claims made by Shaikh as their investigation is at a preliminary stage, an earlier HT report quoted an ANC officer as saying.Those in the know of the investigation also said that luxury cars were used to transport drugs.Alleged drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Mohammad Suhail Shaikh is currently in the custody of the Ghatkopar ANC. Orry is likely to be questioned about revelations made by Shaikh, sources in the ANC told HT.The mephedrone-manufacturing facility in a farm in Sangli, which was busted in March 2024, was allegedly controlled by wanted drug trafficker Salim Dola - who is a key member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang - and his son Taher, sources said.Taher was deported from the United Arab Emirates and arrested by Mumbai police in June this year, while his relative, Mustaffa Mohammad Khubbawala, was deported a month later. Shaikh, who made claims of popular personalities attending lavish parties, was deported in October this year and arrested on November 5.“The raw material required to make MD in Sangli was provided by Khubbawala from Surat. From Sangli, the bulk of the manufactured drugs would be sent to Mira Road,” another HT report quoted a police officer.The traffickers used luxury cars such as Mercedes and BMWs to transport the drugs, in a bid to avoid raising suspicion, the officer said.The officer added that the money collected from distributors was sent to the key players who operated the network from Dubai via hawala channels, the officer said.Mohammad Salim Mohammad Suhail Shaikh admitted to establishing multiple drug-manufacturing units and operating a distribution network for substances such as cocaine, MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets, hashish, charas and mephedrone, an officer had earlier said.(With inputs from Vinay Dalvi)