MD gets manufactured overnight in bulk outside Mumbai, suspect police

According to the Mumbai police, the manufacturing cost for producing MD in bulk is very low, and it gets sold at a much higher profit.

Drug enforcement agencies in Mumbai have received information that chemical companies outside the city are manufacturing Mephedrone (MD) in bulk in a single night and cleaning all evidence from the scene to avoid being caught. Sources in the anti-narcotics cell (ANC) of the Mumbai police told HT this was being done as selling MD is very profitable.

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There have been several raids on factories located outside the state apart from MIDC areas in Western Maharashtra in the recent past, which has made these manufactures cautious. “The manufacturing cost for producing MD in bulk is very low, and it gets sold at a much higher profit. It costs Rs30,000 to manufacture one kg of the drug, which is then sold for over Rs3 lakh per kg to the distributor, who sells it at an even higher price in market,” a source in the agency said.

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The official added that most of the raw material was easily available legally, and mostly importantly, at a cheap rate.

In one of the raids, police found that the factory had 26 different rooms, and MD got manufactured in just one small room. This was being done to ensure there was no suspicion, and that they did not come on the radar of the agencies.

Read: Mumbai’s anti-narcotics cell seizes Mephedrone worth Rs3.4 lakh, two arrested

Chemical factories in Western Maharashtra were in focus after a raid in Pune, in which a foreign national was allegedly involved, in 2016. Sources said the government allots licenses to these companies with a manufacturing limit for a stipulated time. However, companies at times exceed the limit and there is no foolproof mechanism to keep a check. Past investigations have revealed that in a large set up, a small machine was enough for the production of Mephedrone. The components are easily available and manufacturers just need a small room to mix the components in proper proportion.

officials claim that they have managed to stop the flow of the drug in the city but now dealers may be changing strategy. Deputy Commissioner of police (ANC) Shivdeep Lande told HT, “We have managed to bust MD suppliers and distributors in the city, and we are working on inputs to ensure no MD is supplied in the city from outside.”

Read: Mumbai businessman arrested with 1kg of Mephedrone in Andheri