Drugs seizure: Cocaine-bleaching powder cocktail surprises Mumbai police

In the past, cocaine has been mixed with paracetamol; police probe to see if the new mix is being blended for better profit or because of demand

The anti-narcotics cell (ANC) of the Mumbai police has, for the first time, seized cocaine mixed with bleaching powder in a recent raid. While officials have made no entry of this in the panchnama, they said they are studying the case to find out if the mixing was for profit or if bleaching powder gives some kind of kick to addicts.

Shivdeep Lande, deputy commissioner of police, ANC, confirmed the seizure and said they were studying the case. ANC officers said on January 5, the Bandra unit of the ANC raided a place at Vakola, from where they arrested a 22-year-old man of African origin and seized 20g cocaine and 54g MD worth Rs2.08 lakh.

The cops were surprised to find bleaching powder mixed with the drug. In past cases, cocaine has been mixed with paracetamol and crocin, but never bleaching powder. The officers added that mixing was mostly done to increase the quantity of the drug which in turn increases profit.

The cops are studying the mixture to check if this was done for profit or the mixed bleaching powder is being demanded by addicts. The seized cocaine has been sent to the state forensic laboratory for testing.

In parties held in pubs or college get-togethers, peddlers take advantage of the revellers’ excitement, owing to which they barely pay attention to the quality of the drug, said the officer. So the peddlers supply adulterated drugs. The contraband at times is diluted 20 times more than the original form and this increases the quantity and so the money earned, he added.

The cops added that most of the drugs are mixed with something or the other. In perhaps the biggest example of drug mixing, in March 2015, the Satara police, following a tip off, raided a house of Marine Drive police constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe in Kanheri village and seized 112kg drugs, supposed to be MD. It created flutters in Mumbai police as allegations of its men being involved with drug mafia Shashikala Patankar alias Baby emerged. After the probe, in May 2015, Mumbai crime branch arrested several police officials. However in June 2016, a report from Kalina FSL and its Pune branch on samples sent to them by Mumbai and Satara police ruled out the seized substance to be MD. The FSL reports said it was ajinomoto.