The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) conducted multiple searches at three locations in the city during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday which led to seizure of drugs worth Rs 16 lakh in the illicit market.
Three persons including a mastermind have been detained by the agency in an operation headed by Sameer Wankhede, zonal director of NCB. “The team of NCB recovered total around 162 grams of mephedrone, a psychotropic substance and small quantity of charas, a narcotic drug covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS) act,” said a senior officer.
Three persons detained have been identified as Aijaz Ahmed Supariwala alias psycho, resident of Chinchbundar, Amjad Asalam Shaikh of Nagpada and Rajan Subramaniyam of raichur street at dana bundar in Dongri. “Aijaz is the mastermind in the case who is called psycho due to his violent nature. We seized twenty-five mobile phones from him and are investigating his suspected network of peddlers,” the officer added. “Amjad worked for Aijaz while Rajan worked independently,”
The case is as part of the ongoing crackdown against drug peddlers. Mephedrone has emerged as one of the popular drugs trafficked. The highest number of cases initiated by the NCB this year is of Mephedrone.
The drug is also known as M-Kat, MD and Meow Meow and is regarded as a poor man’s Cocaine. It is locally made unlike cocaine and heroin, which is imported. The worrying trend for the agencies is that widespread network of drug lords and peddlers.The NCB investigations revealed MD is manufactured in factories and labs at the outskirts of the city and is circulated across the country.
Under the NDPS act, small and commercial quantities for each drug have been notified. In respect of MD, the law states that two grams to less than 50 grams is considered non-commercial quantity and the penalty is imprisonment of two years, extending up to 10, and a fine of up to Rs1 lakh. Minimum 50 grams of MD is considered commercial quantity for which the penalty is imprisonment of anywhere between 10 and 20 years and a fine of up to Rs2 lakh.
