In a significant breakthrough in international law enforcement, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully coordinated the deportation of Kubbawala Mustafa, a key figure in a synthetic drug case, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to India. This operation highlights the CBI's commitment to combating transnational crime and its effective use of international cooperation mechanisms.
The CBI, in a press release, announced that it had facilitated Mustafa's return through INTERPOL channels. Mustafa, a wanted individual by the Mumbai Police, was apprehended in the UAE following a Red Corner Notice issued against him. The International Police Cooperation Unit (IPCU) of the CBI, in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Abu Dhabi, played a crucial role in this operation.
A four-member team from the Mumbai Police was dispatched to Dubai on July 7 to escort Mustafa back to India. The team arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Friday, marking the culmination of a meticulously planned operation.
CBI's press release highlighted the agency's efforts in geo-locating Mustafa in the UAE through persistent follow-up with INTERPOL and NCB-Abu Dhabi. Mustafa is implicated in a case registered at the Kurla Police Station in Mumbai, under FIR No. 67/2024, for allegedly operating a synthetic drug manufacturing facility in Sangli, Maharashtra, from abroad.
CBI revealed that a total of 126.141 kg of Mephedrone, a synthetic drug, valued at INR 2.522 million, was seized from the factory linked to Mustafa and his associates. Mustafa has been charge-sheeted, and an open-dated arrest warrant was issued against him by the court.
The Red Notice for Mustafa was published by INTERPOL on November 25, 2024, at the request of the Mumbai Police. On June 19, 2025, NCB-Abu Dhabi informed the CBI that their authorities had requested a security mission to the UAE to facilitate Mustafa's return to India. Consequently, a team from the Mumbai Police was assembled to execute this mission.
International cooperation and INTERPOL's role
Red Notices, published by INTERPOL, serve as global alerts circulated to all law enforcement agencies for tracking and apprehending wanted criminals. The CBI, as the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL in India, coordinates with all law enforcement agencies in the country through BHARATPOL, leveraging INTERPOL channels for assistance. Over the past few years, more than 100 wanted criminals have been successfully returned to India through such coordinated efforts, as stated by the CBI.
In a related development, an Abu Dhabi-based individual, identified as Kubbawala Mustafa, who allegedly operated a laboratory in Maharashtra's Sangli, was deported from the UAE and brought to India. The laboratory was the site of a significant seizure of Mephedrone, a banned drug, worth Rs 253 crore. The Mumbai Crime Branch had previously arrested six individuals in connection with this case and dismantled the laboratory where the synthetic drug was being produced. Further investigations revealed Mustafa as the mastermind behind the operation, prompting the initiation of deportation procedures.
The CBI, which coordinated Mustafa's deportation through INTERPOL channels, confirmed that he is wanted in a case registered at the Kurla Police Station in Mumbai. A four-member team from the Mumbai Police traveled to Dubai on July 7 to bring Mustafa back to India. The team arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on July 11, 2025. The CBI's statement emphasized the agency's role in geo-locating Mustafa in the UAE through close follow-up with INTERPOL and NCB-Abu Dhabi. Mephedrone drug packets weighing 126.141 kg and valued at Rs 253 crore were confiscated from the factory linked to Mustafa and others. Mustafa has been charge-sheeted, and an open-dated arrest warrant has been issued against him.
