Mumbai: NCB identifies elusive 'master of disguise' drug lord

Mohammed Husain Bilal alias Telwala

After several days of investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) identified a mysterious drug mafia using multiple identities to evade arrest. The master of disguise has even used a female identity to supply drugs in India and abroad. The agency, however, missed apprehending him by a whisker.

The NCB found his factory near Mumbai where he was allegedly manufacturing 100 kg of MD worth Rs 100 crore in a single lot. The NCB started tracking the man after Dongri drug lord Arif Bhujwala's arrest. He was found to be chatting with a person using the names Bilal, Asif, Hashim but his location could not be tracked and neither was there data matching the profile. "We thought that it could be someone using fake identities. Even Bhujwala was not aware of his real name," an NCB officer said.

NCB eventually identified him as Mohammed Husain Bilal alias Telwala, who was arrested by Mumbai police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) in 2011 for supplying drugs abroad. Telwala had since gone underground, used different identities and never met anyone. "He'd change his SIM card every week and procure new numbers, purchase properties using forged papers. Finding his true identity was a puzzle," the officer added.

The agency believes Telwala is a big drug supplier having direct links with Anees Ibrahim, Dawood Ibrahim's brother, and his gang in Dubai. "Bhujwala used to take MD from Telwala whenever he ran out of stock," the officer added. Telwala also used apps that made his voice feminine to communicate with peddlers. One of the female identities used by him was Sweta. Last week, NCB reached his current residence in Jogeshwari to apprehend him. "He had been cautious since Bhujwala's arrest and fled with his wife and other kin who may be part of the nexus. He left his two minor sons at home, one of whom is suffering from cancer," the officer added.