In a massive synthetic drug haul, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) personnel of the Mumbai Police’s crime branch have seized more than 700 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 1,400 crore from a drug manufacturing unit at Nalasopara in the neighbouring Palghar district, and arrested five persons.
Acting on a tip-off received from their counterparts at Worli in March this year following the arrest of a drug peddler from Govandi in north-east Mumbai, the ANC officials on Wednesday raided the drug manufacturing unit located at Nalasopara and recovered the drugs meant for distribution among peddlers in Mumbai and its neighbouring areas.
Mephedrone, also known as M-cat, Meow Meow or White Magic, is a synthetic stimulant drug of Amphetamine class psychoactive characteristics and usually used at rave parties. This drug is a psychotropic substance banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
This is one of the biggest drug hauls busted by the city police in recent times. It was the follow-up action of earlier raids during which 3.26 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 4.51 crore was seized from three persons arrested in two separate operations carried on March 29.
Continuing its investigations into the drug supply chain in the metropolis, the ANC personnel took into custody one more accused and arrested the main kingpin behind the drug racket during a raid at his Nalasopara manufacturing unit on Wednesday.
Incidentally, the main accused arrested from Nalasopara is a postgraduate in Organic Chemistry and used his knowledge to manufacture synthetic drugs. The main accused used to sell the drug in bulk quantities weighing more than a minimum of 20 to 25 kg of banned substance.
“The accused used social media platforms, calling apps for drug peddling and supply,” a senior official said.
Of the five arrested accused (including three taken into custody in March this year) two arrested persons are in judicial custody, while three remaining accused, including the two arrested earlier this week, are in police custody.
Talking to media persons, ANC’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said, “We have so far arrested five persons and recovered 701.740 kg Mephedrone valued at Rs 1,403 crore from the accused”.
