NCB to quiz Mumbai chemist who supervised manufacturing of party drug MD worth Rs10 crore

The DRI raided Shivam Pharma and Chemicals in Tarapur MIDC last week and seized 882.2 litres of mephedrone in liquid form

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) will approach the court seeking custody of Narne Ramakrishna, a chemist who supervised the manufacturing of party drug mephedrone (MD) worth Rs10 crore, which was seized in Palghar last week.

Mephedrone in liquid form. (Photo for representation only)

Chemist accused in 2015 case

As much as 14.8kg of mephedrone was seized in raids at Andheri and Mira Road.

The accused included two jewellers, Jayantilal Kothari and Pankaj Kothar.

The other accused are Sanjay Srivasthav, Kaluram Choudhary, Siraj Panjwani, Guddu Shaikh, Narne Ramakrishna and Suleiman Rangaiwala.

The agency alleged that Kaluram was the financier while the rest helped him buy and circulate the drug.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) raided Shivam Pharma and Chemicals in Tarapur MIDC and seized 882.2 litres of mephedrone in liquid form. The agency arrested Jyotsna Srivastava, her brother-in-law Dhananjay Srivastava, Surendra Chowdhary and Ramakrishna.

Jyotsna’s husband Sanjay Srivastava, is currently lodged in Arthur Road jail along with his accomplice Kaluram Chowdhary in connection with a 2015 case, in which 14.8kg of MD was seized. Ramkrishna is wanted in the same case.

The agencies believe Ramkrishna acted on instructions Srivastava allegedly passed to the gang from jail.

He is accused of using his knowledge and expertise to prepare the banned drug, for which he was paid Rs20 lakh. The NCB is investigating if more people were involved in its manufacturing.

“We were searching for Ramakrishna. We will now ask the court to remand him in our custody,” Kumar Sanjay Jha, NCB zonal director, Mumbai and Goa region, told HT.

Acting on a tip-off, the NCB had also searched for Ramakrishna in Hyderabad, but was unable to trace him.