Man caught with drug worth ₹2 cr may have been involved in making it

Teams have fanned out in Maharashtra and beyond to nab the other accused

Pravin Dilip Waghela, 34, who was arrested on Monday by the anti-narcotics cell (ANC) of the Mumbai crime branch for trying to sell Mephedrone or MD worth Rs2.04 crore, may have helped manufacture it, ANC sources told HT. Teams have fanned out in Maharashtra and beyond to nab the other accused.

Waghela wanted to become rich quickly and hence got involved with the drug trade, said officials. (HT File Photo)

“Waghela used to work for a pharma company. After quitting several years ago, he started trading in medicines and painkillers. The raw materials used to make these are the same that ones used to make MD,” said an official.

Waghela told the police that he has a license to trade in medicines. The ANC is in the process of verifying this claim. He is a college drop-out and a native of Surat, Gujarat. He stays in a rented house in Kherwadi with his wife, mother, brother and a three-year-old daughter.

Waghela wanted to become rich quickly and hence got involved with the drug trade, of which he has been a part of for the past six to eight months, said ANC officials. “This is a drug that can be made in a 200-sq ft room. The drugs were manufactured out of Mumbai and were to be sold in the city,” he said.

ANC sleuths searched Waghela’s house and checked his bank accounts. However, they have refused to divulge any details. They are also tight-lipped about whose car was used to commit the crime. The ANC has sent samples of the drugs to the forensic science laboratory.

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In Mumbai: Man arrested after police find mephedrone worth ₹2cr in his car