In joint op, Mumbai cops arrest wanted drug smuggler from hotel in MP’s Khajuraho

Bhopal: An alleged drug smuggler wanted in several cases by Mumbai Police was arrested from a Khajuraho hotel on Monday evening in a joint operation with local police.

The accused, Ismail Sheikh Mastan of Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai, was wanted in 12 cases registered under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, said officials. Acting on technical surveillance, a six-member Mumbai Police team traced him to the hotel.

With Khajuraho police’s help, they cordoned off the premises and apprehended him. He had allegedly been hiding there for several days to evade arrest.

Police said Mumbai teams had raided multiple locations in Uttar Pradesh while tracking him. Investigators believe he travelled through UP before reaching Khajuraho to avoid detection. Local officials said the Mumbai team arrived with inputs on his whereabouts and sought assistance for the operation.

Following the arrest, further investigations in the NDPS cases will continue in Mumbai, officials added.