In the biggest-ever drug seizure by Pune City police, around 1,700 kg mephedrone drug worth Rs 3,000 crore have been seized. Eight people have been arrested so far in the case.
The raids were conducted at two godowns in Pune’s Vishrantwadi, a chemical manufacturing factory in Daund taluka, and in several shops in Delhi’s South Extension, reports The Indian Express.
Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Wednesday said that approximately 720 kilograms of MD have been seized across Pune city as part of an ongoing case. In a separate operation in Delhi, around 970 kilograms of contraband have been recovered. The estimated market value of these seized items is between Rs 3,000-3,500 crore, he told news agency ANI.
He added that eight people have been arrested as part of the drug bust probe.
“This is the biggest-ever drug bust of Pune police and one of the biggest ever in India in a single action,” said Shailesh Balkawde, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) for Pune city, as quoted by IE.
Earlier on Monday, Kumar said that the three accused have been arrested and booked under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act). Around 1.75 kg of mephedrone (also known as MD) worth Rs 3.85 crore has been seized from the trio, reported PTI.
The three were acting as “courier boys” and had offences registered against them.
Following their arrest, two godowns in Vishrantwadi were raided and over 50 kg of mephedrone was recovered from those facilities. Later, police received information that the drugs were being synthetised in a chemical factory in Kurkumbh, from where over 650 kg of mephedrone was seized, along with large quantities of raw material.
As probe in the case went on, Pune police also raided two shops located next to each other in New Delhi’s South Extension, from where around 400 kg of the drug was seized. Some people are being interrogated in connection with the case.
The cop said that probe in the case is underway and all angles are being investigated, and teams are also working in coordination with other agencies.
Mephedrone, also known as ‘meow meow’, is a synthetic stimulant and psychotropic substance banned under the NDPS Act. Other names of the mephedrone drug are ‘White Magic’, ‘M-Cat and Drone’. The drug was included in the list of contrabands under the NDPS Act in 2015, amid rising use of its consumption in big cities.