Vasai shopkeeper, cousin held with MD worth ₹1 crore

The Vasai- Virar region has witnessed a steady rise in the trafficking of drugs such as mephedrone, ganja, heroin and cocaine in recent months, prompting heightened action by the Anti-Narcotics Cell and Crime Branch units

Mumbai: A 22-year-old grocery shop owner from Vasai and his cousin were arrested on Friday for allegedly possessing mephedrone (MD) worth ₹1 crore.

Vasai shopkeeper, cousin held with MD worth ₹1 crore

The Vasai- Virar region has witnessed a steady rise in the trafficking of drugs such as mephedrone, ganja, heroin and cocaine in recent months, prompting heightened action by the Anti-Narcotics Cell and Crime Branch units. The police said that the duo was caught during one such patrol in the Evershine area, being carried by the Crime Branch Unit-2 of the Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police.

According to the police, the patrol personnel found the accused, Bhavar Polaram Patel, 22, and Rakesh Ramaramji Patel, 25, near the Achole crematorium. Finding their behaviour suspicious, they conducted a search in the presence of independent witnesses, which led to the seizure of 505 grams of MD from their possession.

The police said that the accused are natives of Jodhpur in Rajasthan and they had allegedly pooled ₹5 lakh to procure the contraband from their hometown and were preparing to sell it in the Vasai-Virar belt over the past month.

A case has been registered at Achole police station under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.