The anti-narcotics cell on Sunday arrested Rafique ‘Rafe’ Kader Khan (36) at Rabale MIDC, and recovered 174 gm of mephedrone worth Rs. 4.38 lakh from him.
“This is first time me have recovered mephedrone in Navi Mumbai,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Dilip Sawant. Inspector Vinod Chavan of the anti-narcotics cell received a tip off, on the basis of which, Khan was arrested near the Apar Industries unit at Rabale MIDC. Mephedrone crystals and powder were concealed in his clothing, said Mr. Sawant. The accused has confessed that he used to sell the drug to school and college students in the city for about Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 per gm.
“The accused has been remanded in police custody for five days. He is being questioned about his sources, and how many people are involved in this illegal activity,” he said.
From June 1 to September 11, 15 cases of drug pushing have been found, and 20 persons have been booked so far. The rising number of arrests in the last few months indicate the city is an important market for drug racketeers. The main target, according to police, is the youth, particularly students and foreigners. Police officials claim suppliers and pushers look to ‘catch them young’, and have spread their network around colleges and schools, supplying everything from low-cost contraband to expensive drugs like LSD.
The mephedrone problem is serious, police say, as the number of addicts is increasing at an alarming pace. Teenagers seem to be particularly vulnerable to the use of mephedrone as a stimulant. “Mephedrone is an entactogen drug: a class of psychoactive drugs that produces distinctive emotional and social effects. It is a synthetic substance based on the compounds that exist in the khat plant from East Africa. Users may swallow, snort or inject mephedrone. It can come in the form of tablets, capsules or white powder. Snorting is the most common way of taking the drug, and injection the rarest. The side effects of taking this drug include severe panic attacks, hallucinations and paranoia,” says Dr. Usha Hejmady.
“Many students take this drug to get relief from exam stress and to keep them awake while studying,” added Sub-Inspector Ishan Kharote of the anti-narcotics cell.
Senior PI (Anti Narcotics Cell) Maya More told The Hindu, “We are keeping a watch on colleges and other spots where we suspect the drug trade is high. We are also conducting regular awareness campaigns and counselling of students at colleges against the drug menace. We also conduct surprise checks of desolate places like gardens, abandoned structures, areas beneath bridges. When we find youngsters taking drugs, we detain them and call their parents to counsel them. Till date, we have counselled 50 such students, and have arranged de-addiction programmes for them with the help of NGOs.”
The writer is a freelance journalist
