Mumbai: The arrest of a 27-year-old woman, who was nabbed at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs to Doha, Qatar, has led to an international ring suspected to be involved in drug and gold smuggling, and hawala, officials said on Monday.

On September 19, Kurla resident Furkana Sheikh (27) was booked aboard a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. After sniffer dogs flagged her baggage as suspicious, it was searched and 464 grams of amphetamine were found. She was subsequently arrested by the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.

“Based on her interrogation, we arrested Tabassum Sheikh (32) and Rashid Faras (30) at Musafirkhana in Masjid Bandar on the same day. Investigation also led us to Abdul Mulla (32) and Mustakim Ali (32), both natives of Kanoor in Kerala, who were arrested at their residents on September 22,” an officer with the ANC said.

The five accused were interrogated, after which they allegedly spilled the beans. “According to the inquiries so far, Mr. Ali heads the Mumbai end of the racket, which is operated by his brother from Qatar. The gang looks for young, educated, English-speaking women willing to take the risk for a price, and sends drugs to Qatar, which are received by Mr. Ali’s brother's men. The same carriers are sent back with gold jewellery, which they hand over to Mr. Ali’s men in Mumbai,” the officer said.

While Mr. Ali and Mr. Mulla handle the procurement of drugs and make arrangements to send them to Mumbai, Ms. Tabassum Sheikh and Mr. Faras seek out carriers. Bags with drugs are handed over to the carriers at the last minute, along with newly-procured passports, at hotels in Dongri and nearby areas, sources said.

“The racket thrives on the fact that some drugs sold in India at a particular price are worth nearly ten times in the international market. We have found out that the quantity of amphetamine seized from the accused, which is worth ₹23.25 lakh in the Indian drug market, fetches close to ₹2 crore in the Middle East. The gang has been procuring drugs from various sources in India and sending them to Qatar,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivdeep Lande, ANC Mumbai, said.

Apart from drugs and gold, the police have found indications of the gang being involved in the hawala racket, and this aspect is being verified. Any possible links to organised crime syndicates are also being probed.