CBI secures deportation of ₹2.5 cr 'meow meow' case accused from UAE

Kubbawala Mustafa is accused of running an MDMA unit in Maharashtra. Mustafa was subject to a Red Notice issued in 2024

Kubbawala Mustafa, wanted in a synthetic drug case, was deported from the United Arab Emirates and brought back to Mumbai on Friday in a coordinated operation involving the Central Bureau of Investigation, Interpol, and Mumbai Police.

 

Mustafa, who was wanted by Mumbai Police in connection with a FIR registered at Kurla Police Station, was brought back to Mumbai by a four-member police team that had travelled to Dubai on July 7. He arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, on the morning of July 11.

 

Probe linked to ₹2.52 cr meow meow haul

According to the CBI, Mustafa is accused of operating a synthetic drug manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Sangli district while residing abroad. Investigations linked him to the recovery of 126.141 kg of mephedrone, commonly known as MDMA or ‘meow meow’, with an estimated street value of ₹2.52 crore. He had been charge-sheeted, and an open-dated arrest warrant was issued by the court.

 

CBI, Interpol coordinate deportation

The CBI, which serves as India’s National Central Bureau for Interpol, published a Red Notice against Mustafa on November 25, 2024, following a request by Mumbai Police. His location was later confirmed in the United Arab Emirates through sustained coordination between the CBI’s International Police Cooperation Unit and the NCB in Abu Dhabi.

 

On June 19, 2025, UAE authorities formally requested India to dispatch a security mission to facilitate Mustafa’s handover. Mumbai Police responded by constituting a special team to escort him back. 

Red Notices issued by Interpol serve as international alerts for the identification and provisional arrest of wanted individuals. These notices are distributed globally to assist in locating fugitives facing prosecution or sentencing.

 

Extraditions coordinated under Bharatpol

The operation adds to India’s growing record of international repatriations. On Thursday, the CBI reported the extradition of Monika Kapoor from the United States. Kapoor is wanted in a 20-year-old fraud involving the misuse of import licences.

Over the past few years, more than 100 wanted individuals have been brought back to the country through cooperation facilitated by Interpol and coordinated domestically via the CBI’s Bharatpol platform, the agency said. 

Mustafa is expected to be produced in a Mumbai court later today.