Mumbra police busts MD factory in MP, seizes drugs worth ₹27.21 Cr

The police said the arrested accused are habitual offenders, and serious crimes such as murder and narcotics trafficking have been previously registered against them

THANE: Mumbra police have busted a major drug trafficking racket and uncovered a manufacturing unit in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh, seizing 13.62 kg of mephedrone (MD) worth about ₹27.21 crore in the illicit market. Five gang members from Mumbra and Ratlam have been arrested.

Thane, India - January -19, 2026: Thane: Mumbra Police have busted a major drug trafficking racket and a manufacturing unit in Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. In the raid the police have seized 13.62 grams of MD drugs worth Rs. 27.21 crores and arrested five gang members from Mumbra and Ratlam ,in Thane ,in Mumbai, India, on, Monday, January -19, 2026. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

The police said they recently received information that a gang member would arrive in Mumbra to sell drugs. Acting on the tip-off, officers laid a trap near Bilal Hospital in Mumbra and arrested Basu Umaruddin Sayyed, a Mumbra resident. A total of 23.5 grams of MD was seized from him.

During his interrogation, Sayyed told the police that the seized MD had been brought from Madhya Pradesh to Thane for sale. Based on further inputs, the police later arrested Ramsinghsingh Amarsinghsingh Gujjar, 40, and Kailas Shambhulal Balai, 36, both residents of Madhya Pradesh. From them, the police seized 2 kg of hybrid ganja and 3 kg 515 grams of MD, collectively valued at ₹7.3 crore.

Further questioning of the three accused revealed that the drugs were sourced from Ratlam district. Acting on this information, a Mumbra police team, with help from the local police, raided a location in Ratlam. During the operation, Manoharlal Ranglal Gujjar and Raju alias Riyaz Mohammad Sultan Mohammad Mansuri were arrested, and 9 kg 956 grams of MD worth ₹19.91 crore was seized. With these seizures, the police have arrested a total of five people and recovered a total of 13.62 kg of MD, with an overall market value of about ₹27 crore.

Subhash Burse, deputy commissioner of police (Zone 1), Thane police, said, “The arrested accused are habitual offenders, and serious crimes such as murder and narcotics trafficking have been previously registered against them. Further investigation is underway to trace the persons or gangs to whom these contraband substances were to be supplied.” The police added that all the accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

In recent months, Thane has seen several large seizures of contraband by the Thane anti-narcotics cell and crime branch. The issue has also turned into a political flashpoint, with opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress, calling Thane the “drug capital of Maharashtra”. In response, the state transport minister has announced plans to draft a law as stringent as MCOCA to curb the growing drug menace in the city.