NCB convicts 2 drug traffickers in Gandhinagar mephedrone case, one gets 20 years
Synopsis
A Gandhinagar court has handed 20-year and 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentences to two drug traffickers caught smuggling mephedrone from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat on an interstate bus — a conviction the NCB says exposes how commercial-quantity narcotics are moving through India's road transport network.
Key Takeaways
Gandhinagar court convicted Shahida Bibi and Radheshyam Solanki on 19 August 2025 for mephedrone trafficking.
Shahida Bibi sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹2 lakh ; Solanki to 10 years and fined ₹1 lakh .
NCB seized 198.90 grams of mephedrone from an Ashok Travels bus on NH-48 at Chandrala Police Naka on 21 February 2023 .
The drug was being transported from Jaora-Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh to Ahmedabad, Gujarat .
Both convicted under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985 .
A Gandhinagar court on 19 August 2025 convicted two individuals — Shahida Bibi alias Saida Bee and Radheshyam Solanki — for their roles in smuggling 198.90 grams of mephedrone, a psychotropic substance banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat. The case was investigated by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)'s Ahmedabad Zonal Unit and marks a significant outcome in the agency's effort to dismantle inter-state narcotics supply chains.
Sentences Handed Down
Shahida Bibi, a resident of Sujapur in Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh, was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹2 lakh. Solanki, a resident of Jaora in the same district, received 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh. Both were convicted under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act.
How the NCB Cracked the Case
Acting on specific intelligence, NCB officers intercepted an Ashok Travels bus travelling from Jaora-Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh toward Ahmedabad. The bus was stopped at Chandrala Police Naka on NH-48 in Gandhinagar on 21 February 2023. The 198.90 grams of mephedrone were recovered from the conscious possession of both accused.
Roles of the Accused
According to the NCB, Shahida Bibi was involved in the illegal transportation and distribution of mephedrone within Ahmedabad city. Solanki, who served as the bus driver, allegedly acted as a courier, physically moving the substance from Jaora to Ahmedabad. Investigators established that the two were part of a coordinated conspiracy to transport a commercial quantity of the drug across state lines for illegal sale.
Timeline and Legal Proceedings
The NCB filed its complaint before the District and Sessions Court on 17 August 2023, following the seizure earlier that year. The conviction came after a detailed trial, with the court pronouncing its verdict on 19 August 2025. This case illustrates the NCB's use of intelligence-led interception on national highways — a tactic increasingly deployed against road-based narcotics logistics networks. Notably, mephedrone — commonly referred to as 'MD' on the street — has emerged as one of the most frequently seized synthetic substances in western India over the past several years.
What Comes Next
The convicted individuals may appeal the sentences before a higher court. The NCB's Ahmedabad Zonal Unit is expected to continue targeting the supply corridor between Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district and Gujarat, a route that has featured in multiple narcotics seizures in recent years.
Point of View
And road transport — buses in particular — is the preferred logistics channel. The NCB's intelligence-led interception on NH-48 worked here, but the corridor remains active. Sentences of 20 and 10 years under NDPS are among the stiffer outcomes courts hand down, yet deterrence is hard to measure when the supply chain simply reroutes. The real test of this conviction's impact is whether the NCB uses it to trace further up the distribution network — the bus driver and a distributor are rarely the top of the chain.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were convicted in the Gandhinagar mephedrone trafficking case?
Shahida Bibi alias Saida Bee , a resident of Sujapur in Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh, and Radheshyam Solanki , a resident of Jaora in the same district, were convicted on 19 August 2025 by a Gandhinagar court for smuggling 198.90 grams of mephedrone from Madhya Pradesh to Gujarat.
What sentences were handed down in this NCB mephedrone case?
Shahida Bibi was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹2 lakh. Solanki received 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh. Both were convicted under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985.
How did the NCB intercept the drug consignment?
Acting on specific intelligence, NCB officers stopped an Ashok Travels bus at Chandrala Police Naka on NH-48 in Gandhinagar on 21 February 2023. The bus was travelling from Jaora-Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh to Ahmedabad, and 198.90 grams of mephedrone were recovered from the two accused.
What is mephedrone and why is it banned in India?
Mephedrone is a synthetic psychotropic stimulant classified as a controlled substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Its manufacture, sale, and possession are prohibited in India. It is commonly referred to as 'MD' and has been increasingly seized in western India in recent years.
What was each accused person's role in the trafficking network?
According to the NCB, Shahida Bibi was responsible for the transportation and distribution of mephedrone in Ahmedabad city. Solanki, who was the bus driver, acted as a courier physically carrying the drug from Jaora to Ahmedabad. Both were found to be part of a conspiracy to move a commercial quantity of the substance across state lines.
