Mumbai Police Crime Branch has arrested two accused who allegedly procured mephedrone in large quantities from outside Mumbai and supplied it to drug peddlers in the city on a wholesale basis. Officials said the accused have been active for the past four years.
Crime Branch officers said the racket was busted after Assistant Police Inspector Irfan Sheikh (Unit IX) received a tip-off. On July 13, a team led by Police Inspector Asha Korke laid a trap in Nargis Dutt Nagar in Bandra and picked up Salim Khan (45) and seized 1.055 kg of mephedrone from him.
Mr. Khan’s interrogation led to 6.905 kg of the drug being seized from his house in Bandra. The police went on to arrest his accomplice, Noorul Huda Sheikh (50), on Sunday and recovered 2.012 kg of mephedrone from him.
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Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection I) Nisar Tamboli said, “The accused would employ women to deliver drugs to peddlers to evade detection. They also maintained a low profile and followed an austere lifestyle to stay off the radar.”
Mr. Tamboli said the accused mainly supplied drugs to peddlers in JJ Marg, Dongri and Nagpada. He said, “We are trying to apprehend the people from whom the duo procured drugs.”
Sources said that the supplier is likely to be based in Thane district. An officer said, “We suspect that the drug was processed in an industrial unit lining the highways on the outskirts of the city. The accused are believed to have sold around 50 kg of mephedrone this year. The seized drugs are worth ₹1.45 crore.”
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The accused have been remanded in police custody till July 18. The police are quizzing them to find out the extent and scope of the racket.