Chemist among 6 people arrested in MD drug bust; total arrested now 20

The man has been identified as Arvindkumar Prakashchand Lohare (39), a resident of Oshiwara in Mumbai and a native of Mazaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh

A post-graduate degree holder, who taught a group of criminals the procedure of making mephedrone narcotic, was among the six men who were arrested by Pimpri-Chinchwad police.

Lohare was referred to as the “doctor” in their circle and was mentioned as such during the police custody of people arrested earlier in the case. (Shutterstock representative photo)

The man has been identified as Arvindkumar Prakashchand Lohare (39), a resident of Oshiwara in Mumbai and a native of Mazaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Lohare was referred to as the “doctor” in their circle and was mentioned as such during the police custody of people arrested earlier in the case.

“He was the one who trained everyone on how to make the drug. The teaching was done at three locations and 132kg MD was produced at a company in Ranjangaon MIDC. He took Rs 35 lakh for teaching the procedure. He has a history of another case against him,” said Krishna Prakash, commissioner of Pimpri-Chinchwad police.

The five others arrested have been identified as Manoj Eknath Palande (40), a resident of Ganeshnagar Varse in Raigad; Afzal Hussain Abbas Sunsara (52), a resident of Jogeshwari West in Mumbai; Parshuram Bhalchandra Jogal (44), Wagle Estate in Thane and a native of Devgad in Sindhudurg; Mandar Baliram Bhosale (49), also a resident of Wagle Estate and Ram Manoharlal Gurbani (43), a resident of Mulund West in Mumbai, according to the police.

Of the six people arrested recently, Jogal was arrested on November 24 from Thane, Bhosale and Gurbani were arrested on November 25, and the three others, including the chemist.

According to the police, small quantities were made during the two-day teaching session at three locations - Bhosale’s Alkemi Industry and Palande’s Nimbus Pharma in Mahad MIDC, Raigad and a farmhouse owned by advocate M Joshi, where two kingpins, arrested earlier in the case, conducted trials. They have been identified as Tushar Kale and Rakesh alias Rocky Khaniwadekar.

HOW 132kg of MD WAS PRODUCED

A team of workers led by Kale and Rocky produced 132kg of MD within 15 days before the lockdown and distributed it among people who sold it further. The workers had no idea what was being made in the factory, said senior police inspector Balkrushna Sawant.

“During the training and trial period, they made some 4-5kg at three locations. However, at Ranjangaon MIDC, they produced 132kg. Generally, 400 grammes of pure substance can be extracted from 1kg of raw material. But Kale roped in a man named Hrushikesh Mishra (25) who is a gold medallist in chemistry from a university in Maharashtra. He helped them extract 800gm per kg of raw material,” said assistant police inspector Prerna Katte of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police crime branch.

While Rocky and Kale produced the drug in batches, the three others are believed to have provided space, raw material, distribution channels and logistical support, according to the police.

So far, it does not seem like there were any storage spaces involved as the drugs are believed to have been sent out as and when the batches were prepared and sold throughout the lockdown period, according to senior police inspector Shriram Paul.

CASE, AS KNOWN, SO FAR

Along with these six, the total number of arrests in the case have now reached 20. Among the 20 arrests, two men were found with cash that was collectively found to be worth Rs 85,00,000.

The case first landed on the Pimpri-Chinchwad police radar when a truck carrying 20kg MD was seized in Chakan by senior PI Paul’s team on October 7.

“This was the excess product that was kept under wraps by one of the players. They had first procured material to make 112kg of drugs. But their productivity increased (due to Mishra) and extra 20kg was produced. This truck was passing through Chakan when it was intercepted,” said senior PI Sawant.

HISTORY OF CASES AGAINST ARRESTED PEOPLE

Lohare, known as the “doctor” in his circle, has a previous case under NDPS registered against him in 2018 in Nashik. He was found with 12kg of produced MD in Igatpuri area of Nashik.

Tushar Kale, suspected aide of underworld don Rajendra Nikalje aka Chhota Rajan and has at least five known cases against him. Of the five cases, one case is of murder, another of extortion, one for preparation of dacoity, one of possession of arms, including 700 rounds of ammunition, and theft.

Mandar Bhosale has a history of four previous cases and has been booked under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (Mcoca) by Thane police.

The current case is registered under Sections 8(c), 21(c), 22(c) and 29 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.