Chemistry grad in drug bust: ANC seizes Rs19.58 crore property

Mumbai: The Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has seized assets worth Rs19.58 crore belonging to Premprakash Parasnath Singh, the chemistry post-graduate who was arrested in August for allegedly synthesising and selling mephedrone (MD). The assets include his two flats, nine shops and a car.

The agency said on Wednesday that the identified and seized properties owned by the accused are allegedly derived from the money earned out of drug trafficking. “We have issued an order to seize the properties under section 68(F) of the NDPS Act and a report on the same has been submitted to the state government,” said an official.

Six savings bank accounts, two flats, nine shops in Dahisar and Palghar, and one car

The value of the properties is Rs19,58,44,550, which includes six savings bank accounts (Rs1,14,88,216), two flats in Dahisar, nine shops in Dahisar and Palghar, and one car (Rs16 lakh). Officials confirmed that further investigation to identify more such properties is underway.

The MD kingpin’s racket began to unravel after the Worli unit of the ANC arrested a man from Shivaji Nagar in Govandi for alleged possession of 250grams of MD. From another arrested person, the ANC recovered 2.7kg of MD.

Agency arrested eight persons from Nallasopara

Weeks later, the agency arrested eight persons during a raid in a godown in Nallasopara, Ambernath, and Ankleshwar in Gujarat from where a total of 2,400kg of MD was seized. Subsequently, the key accused, too, was arrested.

It was known that the chemistry graduate was trying to set up a pharmaceutical unit in Gujarat as a front to manufacture the synthetic stimulant also known as Meow Meow. The raids by the ANC in Nallasopara and Gujarat broke the syndicate.

Published on: Wednesday, November 02, 2022, 09:57 PM IST