In a major breakthrough in the Karjat drug racket, RCF Police have arrested Shakeel Ahmed Shafi Memon alias Shakeel ‘Chikna’, 50, the alleged kingpin behind a large-scale MD drug manufacturing operation uncovered last month. Memon, a Navi Mumbai resident, had been absconding since police raided an illicit drug factory at a rented farmhouse in Karjat, Raigad.
He was arrested by the RCF Police and produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody till June 20.
According to police, Memon was the mastermind behind a well-organised network that converted isolated bungalows and farmhouses into mephedrone (MD) manufacturing units. Under his leadership, the gang is believed to have produced nearly 100 kg of MD every month, relocating every three months to evade detection. The drugs were then distributed across Mumbai and other cities through a wide-reaching supply chain.
The RCF police had earlier uncovered a major drug syndicate that had turned a Sawli Farmhouse in Kikvi, Karjat, into a full-fledged MD factory, which the gang had rented under the pretext of goat farming — a ploy used to mask the strong odour of chemicals. Two rooms were rented at ₹50,000 each per month, where a complete drug production setup was installed.
A raid conducted by a special team under the supervision of DCP Navnath Dhawale resulted in the seizure of 5.525 kg of MD and large quantities of raw chemicals. The chemicals alone, worth ₹1 crore, had the potential to produce 150 kg of MD, valued at over ₹300 crore in the international market.
The investigation began in March this year, when the RCF police seized 45 grams of MD and arrested a person. Subsequent arrests of four more peddlers from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai led police to the Karjat factory. So far, over 6.689 kg of MD, worth ₹13.37 crore, has been recovered in the case.
Sources revealed that Memon, along with his son, had been operating from the Karjat farmhouse for three months, manufacturing approximately 25 kg of MD per week-- resulting in an estimated 300 kg of drugs worth nearly ₹600 crore.
Police are now investigating the broader syndicate, including the distribution network, financial trail, and possible international links.
