Supplier arrested in ₹325 crore MD haul case

Navi Mumbai: The Raigad police have made an arrest in the ₹325 crore MD haul case, bringing the total number of arrests to five

Navi Mumbai: The Raigad police have made an arrest in the ₹325 crore MD haul case, bringing the total number of arrests to five. Chandramani Matamani Tiwari, 45, a resident of Kandivali, was apprehended as the supplier of raw materials used in the manufacture of mephedrone powder in the factory located in Raigad district.

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Tiwari was arrested after the other four accused revealed the information about the supplier. Khopoli police called Tiwari for questioning, where it became evident that he was the main supplier of raw materials to the accused. The interrogation revealed his awareness of the chemical’s use by the other four, leading to his arrest. “Neither Tiwari had the license to sell the chemical nor did the accused have any permission from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) for possession of the chemicals. We have seized around 21 different chemicals from the factory where the manufacturing was taking place,” a police officer privy to the investigations said.

According to the police, the responsibility to verify the buyer’s permission to possess chemicals lies with the seller, and in this case, both were found to be without the required authorisation.

Earlier on December 8, Khopoli police busted a manufacturing factory in Dheku village, Khopoli, seizing MD worth ₹107 crore. The police arrested Kamal Jeswani, 48, Matin Sheik, 45, and Anthony Kurukuttikaran, 54. Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of a godown storing more MD worth ₹218 crore, bringing the total seizure to ₹323 crore. The fourth accused, Jayraj Gadkar, 34, a customs clearing agent, was arrested last week.

“We have information that the accused have exported the drugs to multiple countries via JNPT with the help of Gadkar, and we are investigating which countries it was exported to,” stated Pravin Pawar, Konkan IG range.

All the accused are in police custody until Tuesday, facing charges under sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act related to the production, manufacturing, possession, sale, purchase, transportation, use, consumption, import, export of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, as well as contravention and criminal conspiracy.