Key accused in ₹252-cr Sangli drugs bust deported from UAE

The accused had fled to Dubai in 2024, and was nabbed with the help of Interpol and local authorities

- Abhishek Sharan and Manish Kumar Pathak

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday got Mustafa Mohammed Kubbawala, 44, a key accused in a ₹252-crore synthetic drugs bust, deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the help of Interpol and authorities based in the UAE. A resident of Surat, Kubbawala was wanted by the Mumbai police in an illegal mephedrone factory bust in Sangli district, Maharashtra.

In March last year, police stormed the factory, in Kavthe Mahankal in Sangli, and seized 126.14kg of mephedrone, commonly known as 'MD' valued at around Rs 252 crore. The illegal facility was controlled by alleged drug lord Salim Dola and his son Taher. Kubbawala, son of Salim's sister, was charge sheeted in the case and the trial court had issued an arrest warrant against him.