Mamta Kulkarni key accused in India’s biggest drug bust

The Thane police on Saturday has named former actor Mamta Kulkarni as one of the key accused in a multi-crore drug racket linked to drug baron Vicky Goswami, claiming that she was actively involved in the illicit activities and that it would seek her extradition from Kenya. The police said it would inform Interpol through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to issue a red corner notice against the actor in connection with the drug racket for which Goswami, her husband, was already under the police radar.

The police was successfully able to establish the involvement of Kulkarni within two months with the help of the Drug Enforcememt Department of USA. The Thane police officials have also taken statements of two witnesses under section 164 of the CrPC, where they have mentioned that Kulkarni, Goswami, Jay Mukhi, Manoj Jain, Kishore Rathod, son of a former Gujarat MLA, Dr Abdullah and two of his associates attended two meetings in Kenya and Dubai.

“It was revealed that the first meeting was held on January 1, 2016, in Kenya. The second meeting was held in Dubai at Burj Khalifa that was not attended by Vicky Goswami,” said Parambir Singh, commissioner of police, Thane. American Drug Enforcement officials who were already on Goswami’s drug trail shared the details of the case. They revealed that Dr Abdullah, a Kenyan drug lord, tried to set up a factory in Mombasa in Kenya and he already has two factories running in Tanzania in his own name.

“The Drug Enforcement Department shared with us information that Mamta and Vicky are in Kenya. During the investigation, we found that 100 kg ephedrine was supplied to Vicky Goswami recently through an aircraft with the help of an agent from Mohammed Ali road. Also, the 1,300 kg ephedrine seized in Gujarat (in April) was to be sent to Kenya through ship,” added Mr Singh.

According to officials, as Goswami cannot leave Kenya because of an Interpol notice against him, it was Kulkarni who met the clients in Dubai, Singapore, South Africa and the US. Kulkarni allegedly helped him to improve business deals with drug networks in Maharashtra, and Goswami used her name to do bank transactions. They both have done a number of money transactions through hawala, the official said. Kulkarni’s key role in the drug deals started after she became a director of Avon Life Science Limited company.

“The witnesses in their statement revealed that shares worth '11 lakh had been transferred in the name of Mamta Kulkarni to make her the director. The Avon Life Science Limited company has a total of '2 crore worth shares. It was Mamta Kulkarni who suggested in the meeting that she should be the director, as Goswami was already in the wanted list,” said a police official.

After this meeting, around 100 kg ephedrine was sent to Kenya through air cargo, but the police is yet to get details about the supply.

“They would then clean the ephedrine and make it meth, a drug. (To make meth, 30 per cent waste is removed from ephedrine). The cleaning process of ephedrine to meth would be carried out at Saburi farm, a chemical firm based in Tanzania,” said Mr Singh.

Two more accused who played a main role in the case is Dr Abdullah who is involved in various drug rackets with Goswami and is under the radar of the police.

Parag Manare, deputy commissioner of police, Thane crime branch, said, “The 100 kg of ephedrine was sent through air cargo and in the meeting it was decided that another of consignment would be next sent through shipping. Accordingly, 1,300 kg was all ready to be shipped to Kenya, but the Gujurat ATS caught hold of them and seized the consignment. The 1,300 kg ephedrine too would be converted into meth and sold for $50,000 per 1 kg in the international market,” added Mr Manare.

The Thane police is also in search of another major accused in the case identified as Shakeel Patel who had allegedly sent cash through hawala in Mumbai. “Shakeel is currently in Africa and he has sent cash to four different places through hawala. We are trying to crack it,” said police official.

Mr Singh further added that the police had arrested 10 people in connection with the case. Jay Mukhi, also a kingpin, was arrested by Amol Walzade, police sub-inspector, anti-narcotic Cell, Thane, from the Nepal border. Another seven accused, including Kulkarni and Goswami, are still wanted in the case.