Crime News: Mephedrone worth Rs 106 crore seized from Raigad chemical factory; trio nabbed in major drug bust

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In a major operation, the police successfully raided a chemical company in Maharashtra's Raigad district and uncovered a staggering cache of mephedrone estimated at over Rs 106 crore.

Acting on a tip-off, law enforcement conducted the raid at the company located in Sajgaon, Khalapur, resulting in the arrest of three individuals suspected of manufacturing the banned substance on the premises.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Kamal Jeswani (48), Matin Sheikh (45), and Anthony Kurukuttikaran. The company, where the illegal activity was detected, has been promptly sealed following the raid. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered against the trio.

The seized contraband, mephedrone, was discovered stored in plastic drums within the facility. The police team recovered a total of 85.2 kg of the banned substance, distributed across three containers, with 30 kg each in two drums and 25.2 kg in the third. The calculated value of the seized mephedrone is an astonishing Rs 106.50 crore, with the street value estimated at Rs 1.25 crore per kg.

Additionally, the police confiscated raw materials and chemicals valued at Rs 15.37 lakh, suspected to be used in the manufacturing process of mephedrone. An ongoing investigation is in progress to determine if any other individuals were involved in the illicit activities related to the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of the banned drug.

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Meanwhile, in a separate anti-narcotics operation, Mumbai Police's Anti Narcotics Cell apprehended two individuals during a raid in Bandra, seizing a substantial quantity of hash oil.

Hash oil, also known as cannabis oil, is a concentrated extract from cannabis, and this marks the first time such a sizable quantity has been confiscated by the city police.

An official told PTI that acting on specific intelligence, the ANC of the city police conducted a raid in Bandra on Thursday and seized the contraband from Bandra. Two persons were arrested, he said.

"Based on specific information, the ANC of the Mumbai crime branch conducted a raid in Bandra this morning in which hash oil worth crores was seized. Two accused were arrested in this connection," the official was quoted as saying.

He said that this was the first time the city police sized hash oil in commercial quantity. (With inputs from agencies)