Big drug bust: Mephedrone worth Rs 1,100 crore seized in Pune; three persons arrested

PTI, Feb 20, 2024, 6:34 PM IST

Pune: Police have seized more than 600kg of synthetic stimulant drug mephedrone, estimated to be worth Rs 1,100 crore, in Pune district and arrested three persons, said the city police commissioner on Tuesday.

The three persons arrested in connection with the biggest-ever drug seizure in Pune district were booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act), police said.

“On Sunday, three persons were arrested and around 1.75 kg of mephedrone (also known as MD) worth Rs 3.85 crore was recovered from them. During investigation, we traced two godowns where another 55 kg of MD was found.

“Following interrogation of the trio and based on inputs received from them, another operation was carried out in the Kurkumbh MIDC area and approximately 550kg of MD was recovered from a unit there,” said Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar.

He said as of now, the police have recovered more than 600 kg of mephedrone which is approximately worth Rs 1,100 crore.

“Investigations are going on a war footing. Upward and downward linkages are being probed and our teams are working in close coordination with other agencies,” the IPS officer said.

Asked about antecedents of the arrested accused, Kumar said they were primarily acting as “courier boys” and had some offences registered against them.

The police commissioner declined to divulge further details, saying probe was still at the preliminary stage.

Asked if drug racketeer Lalit Patil was anyway related to the narcotics haul, he said as of now no link has come to light.

Last year, Patil emerged as the kingpin of a drug racket that was busted by the police in Mumbai in a two-month-long operation, which included seizure of mephedrone worth about Rs 300 crore and a raid at a drug manufacturing unit in Nashik. Patil had escaped from a government hospital in Pune, but was later arrested.

Mephedrone, also known as ‘meow meow’, is a synthetic stimulant and psychotropic substance banned under the NDPS Act.