According to the ANC officials, the number of persons detained might increase as the contacts of the suspected dealers are being checked. Their clients will also be booked.

“The root of the network needs to be destroyed to stop the trade. We have set our targets accordingly,” said a senior official of the anti-narcotics cell.

The investigation began after four prominent Mumbai-based dealers were arrested by the ANC sleuths. The “preventive busts” according to the senior officials were conducted after collecting details through night operations at the suspected spots in the city. The department has, in the last three months, conducted mass drives in which every suspected area was monitored and information collected by a dedicated team.

While the data gives the usual background information, the officials have managed to get updates on the co-accused of the suspected dealers through the intelligence network. This helped them go on a drive against the dealer network across the city.