Nagpur Rural Police's Surgical Strike on Nylon Manja Mafia

Nagpur.

In its largest-ever crackdown on the trade of prohibited nylon manja, responsible for severing human throats and causing fatal injuries to countless birds, Nagpur Rural Police struck directly at the root of the illicit manufacturing and distribution network. Raiding a closed industrial facility named "Marmik Industries" in the Dadra and Nagar Haveli industrial zone, the police seized banned nylon manja, modern machinery, and raw materials valued at Rs 6.26 crore. The strike has dealt a severe blow to the manufacturing and supply chain.

The operation gained urgency following strict directions from the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court concerning lethal accidents and bird casualties caused by banned kite strings. The High Court had directed Nagpur Rural Police to report the actions taken against banned manja and submit an affidavit by October 25. Intensifying their investigation, the police traced the source directly to the primary manufacturing site.

The investigation originated within the jurisdiction of Kalmeshwar police station at the VRL Logistics hub in Gondkhairi, Nagpur Rural. Acting on intelligence that banned nylon manja was being transported via shipping containers, police conducted a raid and seized manja worth Rs 14.40 lakh alongside a container valued at Rs 20 lakh, totaling Rs 34.40 lakh in property. The driver transporting the consignment to Nagpur, identified as Chhavinath Mohan Nishad, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was placed under arrest. Questioning and receipts recovered from the vehicle led the team to Gujarat, though the physical address provided turned out to be counterfeit. Using technical surveillance and data analysis, investigators traced the trail to the industrial belt of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, pinpointing the actual production unit.

Upon arrival, the unit named "Marmik Industries" appeared shut and inactive. The police secured court permission for a search warrant, coordinated with the local administration, and opened the locked premises on October 21. A thorough search revealed a massive manufacturing and storage operation. Officers seized over 88,000 spools (chakris) of finished nylon manja valued at Rs 5,09,03,100, alongside advanced manufacturing machinery, raw materials, chemical powders, and packaging supplies valued at approximately Rs 95 lakh, taking the total value of the seizure to over Rs 6.26 crore.

The raid also uncovered that the hazardous nylon manja was being manufactured, packaged, and distributed under ten different brand labels: Wulfer, Stinger, Boyfriend, Danger Man, Wulfer Siner, Black Spider, Wulfer Super, Muscle Man, Wulfer Stinger, and UNICEF. These products were packaged on-site and dispatched across multiple states.

Following the multi-crore seizure, the investigation is focusing on tracing the masterminds financing and directing the network, mapping wholesale recipients across the country, and identifying all logistics partners involved in production, packaging, and interstate transit. Findings indicate that this factory was a primary source of regular nylon manja shipments into Nagpur. The unit had previously been sealed following an earlier seizure of banned string, but operations resumed after legal relief from the court. Because nylon manja claims human lives and kills thousands of birds each season, striking the manufacturing source represents a major disruption to the trade. The operation was carried out under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Harssh Poddar and Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Mhaske.