Cops bust Satara MD factory, seize ₹115 cr contraband

The police crime branch has busted a drug manufacturing unit operating from a farm in Jawali, Satara and seized 7.5 kg of solid Mephedrone (MD), 38 kg of liquid MD, and large quantities of raw material used in its production

MUMBAI: The police crime branch has busted a drug manufacturing unit operating from a farm in Jawali, Satara and seized 7.5 kg of solid Mephedrone (MD), 38 kg of liquid MD, and large quantities of raw material used in its production. The total value of the seized contraband is estimated at ₹115 crore.

Cops bust Satara MD factory, seize ₹115 cr contraband

According to the police, the case goes back to October this year when the crime branch arrested a drug peddler in Mulund and recovered about 136 grams of MD from him. During interrogations, the accused revealed that he had received the drug in the Ravet area of Pune.

Based on this the crime branch detained two more accused, one from Ghodbunder Road in Thane and the other from Pune. Further questioning led the police to the source of the drug.

“During interrogation, our teams learnt that the accused were manufacturing Mephedrone at a farm in Savari village of Jawali tehsil. They had constructed walls to conceal the activity,” a police officer said.

Acting on the tip-off, crime branch teams conducted a raid at the farm and uncovered a makeshift drug factory. From the site, they seized 7.5 kilograms of Mephedrone, 38 kilograms of liquid MD, and raw materials collectively valued at ₹115 crore.

Three more persons were arrested from the factory during the raid and are currently being questioned, the police said. The officer added that the crime branch has, in recent months, also raided illegal MD manufacturing units in the Pelhar area of Palghar and in rural parts of Sangli district, where around 122kg of the drug were seized.