Mumbai ATS seizes ₹21 crore cocaine, arrests two in Goregaon West operation
Synopsis
Mumbai's ATS stumbled upon a ₹21 crore cocaine supply chain during a routine patrol in Goregaon West — recovering nearly 4.3 kilograms of the drug across two searches and arresting suspects linked to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The scale of the haul, rare for a cocaine bust in Mumbai, suggests a maturing high-value narcotics network operating in the city.
Key Takeaways
Mumbai ATS seized 4,226.97 grams of cocaine valued at ₹21.13 crore in an operation beginning 2 November 2026 .
First suspect Phoolchandra Ishwardayal Kashyap, 31 , of Uttar Pradesh , was detained near Shivam Cooperative Society, Goregaon West .
A follow-up search of Kashyap's home in Madh Village, Malad West yielded 672 grams of cocaine worth ₹3.36 crore .
Second accused Mujahid Ali , a Madhya Pradesh resident, was arrested after Kashyap named him during interrogation.
Case registered under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the NDPS Act, 1985 at Bangur Nagar Police Station .
Investigators are probing the cocaine's source, intended recipients, and the full extent of the supply network.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Mumbai's Bangur Nagar Police Station seized 4,226.97 grams of cocaine valued at approximately ₹21.13 crore and arrested two individuals in a drug bust that began on the night of 2 November 2026 in Goregaon West, officials confirmed on Thursday. The operation, triggered by a routine patrol on Link Road, uncovered a supply chain stretching from Uttar Pradesh to Madhya Pradesh.
How the Operation Unfolded
At around 8 pm on 2 November, ATS officers patrolling Link Road in Goregaon West spotted a man behaving suspiciously near Shivam Cooperative Society. The individual, identified as Phoolchandra Ishwardayal Kashyap, 31, a native of Uttar Pradesh residing in Madh Village, Malad West, was detained and searched on the spot. Officers recovered 5.97 grams of cocaine — valued at approximately ₹2.98 lakh — from his person.
Acting on the initial recovery, ATS officers then searched Kashyap's residence in Madh Village. By around 3 am on 3 November, investigators recovered an additional 672 grams of cocaine, estimated at ₹3.36 crore, from his home. A case was subsequently registered at Bangur Nagar Police Station under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Second Arrest and Wider Network
During interrogation, Kashyap reportedly disclosed that he operated within a wider narcotics network alongside an associate identified as Mujahid Ali, a resident of Madhya Pradesh. Acting on that lead, ATS officers arrested Ali as well. The combined seizures across the operation total 4,226.97 grams of cocaine with an estimated international market value of ₹21.13 crore.
Investigators are now probing the source of the consignment, its intended recipients, and whether additional individuals facilitated the racket. The scale of the haul suggests the network was operating well beyond a street-level supply chain.
Broader Drug Crackdown in Mumbai
The bust comes close on the heels of a separate drug-related action in November, when the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, dismantled an international smuggling ring that had concealed hashish inside a courier shipment originating from New York and destined for Mumbai. Taken together, the two operations point to intensified enforcement activity targeting Mumbai's narcotics supply lines from both domestic and international directions.
Notably, cocaine seizures of this scale — above ₹20 crore in street value — are relatively rare in Mumbai, where heroin and methamphetamine have historically dominated law-enforcement intercepts. This operation indicates that high-value cocaine distribution may be gaining ground in the city's illicit drug market.
What Investigators Are Probing Next
Police sources indicate that the investigation will focus on identifying upstream suppliers, mapping financial transactions tied to the drug network, and determining whether the consignment was locally consumed or intended for onward distribution. The two accused remain in custody as the probe continues.
Point of View
But the more telling detail is what comes next: investigators still do not know the source of the consignment or who was meant to receive it. That gap in intelligence is as revealing as the arrest itself. Mumbai's drug enforcement has historically focused on heroin and synthetic narcotics; a haul of this scale in cocaine signals a possible shift in the city's narcotics landscape that law enforcement needs to track as a trend, not a one-off. The near-simultaneous DRI bust of a New York-origin courier further suggests that Mumbai's role as an end-destination for high-value narcotics is growing — and that the supply chains are diversifying in both origin and concealment method.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cocaine did Mumbai ATS seize and what is it worth?
Mumbai ATS seized a total of 4,226.97 grams of cocaine across two searches conducted on 2 and 3 November 2026. The haul carries an estimated international market value of ₹21.13 crore, according to officials.
Who were the two individuals arrested in the Mumbai cocaine bust?
The first arrested was Phoolchandra Ishwardayal Kashyap, 31, a Uttar Pradesh native residing in Madh Village, Malad West, Mumbai. His interrogation led to the arrest of a second accused, Mujahid Ali, a resident of Madhya Pradesh.
Where was the cocaine found and how was it discovered?
The initial 5.97 grams were recovered from Kashyap's person near Shivam Cooperative Society on Link Road, Goregaon West, during a patrol on the night of 2 November. A subsequent search of his residence in Madh Village in the early hours of 3 November yielded an additional 672 grams.
What law has been invoked against the accused?
A case was registered at Bangur Nagar Police Station under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which relate to the production, manufacture, possession, and trafficking of controlled substances.
Is this part of a wider crackdown on drugs in Mumbai?
Yes. Around the same time, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, busted a separate international drug smuggling operation involving hashish concealed in a courier shipment sent from New York to Mumbai. Both cases indicate heightened enforcement activity against narcotics supply chains targeting the city.
