Maharashtra: Mephedrone manufacturing unit busted in Solapur by Nashik police; 8 arrested

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A narcotics-manufacturing unit has been busted in Mohol in Solapur, a top Nashik police official said on Saturday.

Nashik police commissioner Ankush Shinde told reporters the unit was being run by alleged drug kingpin Sunny Arun Pagare, who is in jail.

Pagare had confessed to police that he had rented a chemical factory in Mohol in Solapur and was running a drug racket from the premises, he said.

The official said 6.6 kilograms of mephedrone worth Rs 3.30 crore, 14.243 kilograms of "mephedrone like powder" worth Rs 2.84 crore, 30 kilograms of raw material costing Rs 60 lakh, liquid chemicals worth Rs 10 lakh and other items worth Rs 25 lakh had been seized from the unit.

"In all, we have seized items worth Rs 7.09 crore. Eight persons have been arrested in this connection. One person has been detained for questioning, while two are on the run," Shinde said.

As per the official, the drug probe started after one Ganesh Sanjay Sharma was held on September 7 with 12.5 grams of mephedrone.

His questioning led police to his alleged associates Govinda Sable, Atish Guddya Shantaram Chaudhari, Sunny Pagare, Arjun Piwal, Manoj Gangurde and Sumit Pagare, as per police.

So far, drugs with a cumulative weight of 4.5 kilograms have been recovered from Sunny Pagare, Gangurde and Piwal, the official said.

Police said one Manohar Kale from Nashik had been arrested in connection with the factory raid, while a person from Solapur had been detained and was being interrogated.

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