Mumbai: In December last year, the officers of Mumbai Crime Branch busted a major drug manufacturing unit in a makeshift shed on a farm in Savarigaon, Javli Taluka and seized mephedrone approximately worth Rs.115 crore. In January, the officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted a raid in the Pachputewadi area of Karad, seizing a massive quantity of drugs valued at Rs 55 crore. What makes these operations more worrying is that the local police were completely unaware that these factories were operating within their jurisdiction. These back-to-back operations and seizures have led to a question whether Satara has become a safe haven for the drug manufacturers? And whether there has been a complete intelligence failure of local police to monitor activities of drug dealers in the vicinity?
Working on a developed intelligence, DRI launched an operation codenamed Operation Sahyadri Checkmate and dismantled a clandestine mobile mephedrone manufacturing laboratory at Satara. According to the DRI, the illicit laboratory was designed to evade detection by frequently shifting locations. Surveillance led to the identification of a camouflaged manufacturing unit operating under the guise of a poultry farm. A coordinated operation launched by DRI on January 24 unearthed the makeshift, mobile and fully operational clandestine laboratory equipped with apparatus capable of manufacturing Mephedrone (NDPS substance).
A total of 21.91 kg mephedrone in different forms, comprising 11.84 kg in liquid form, 9.32 kg in semi-liquid form, and 738 grams in crystalline form was seized. In addition, 71.5 kg raw material, capable of producing approximately 15 kg finished NDPS substance, was also seized. The illicit market value of the seized NDPS substance was estimated to be approximately Rs 55 crore. DRI apprehended three individuals, including the ‘cook’ engaged in manufacturing; the financer-consigner; and the owner of the poultry farm. The first batch of finished NDPS contraband had been concealed at the residence of the poultry farm owner for safekeeping.
In a follow-up action, officers of DRI mounted late-night surveillance near an old octroi toll naka located inside a dense forested area and apprehended two more individuals en-route to collect the final product. It is pertinent to mention that out of the five individuals arrested, four are repeat offenders, having earlier been arrested under the NDPS Act or prosecuted under serious legislations such as MACOCA.
Satara SP Tushar Doshi on MD Drugs Crackdown and Awareness Campaign
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Satara Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi said that the recent actions by the Mumbai Police and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had exposed large-scale manufacturing of MD drugs, prompting the Satara Police to intensify awareness efforts against narcotics in the district.
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Doshi said that Mumbai Police had seized a large quantity of MD drugs in December last year, while the DRI carried out another major seizure next month. Following these developments, Satara Police launched a widespread drug awareness campaign across the district. He explained that due to Satara’s remote and rural locations, the accused had been using isolated sheds in villages to manufacture MD drugs. The drug manufacturers were constantly shifting their operations from one location to another remote place for a short period, eventually reaching Satara where they began producing the narcotic in remote areas.
“Both operations revealed that the accused involved were not locals but outsiders. They had arrived in Satara just five to six days before the Mumbai Police and DRI actions, and had started manufacturing MD drugs in remote parts of the district,” Doshi said. He further added that in the action carried out by Mumbai Police last month, the main accused was a resident of Andhra Pradesh. During the investigation, it was also found that the accused had illegally tapped electricity from the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to run the drug manufacturing unit. Accordingly, Satara Police have also registered a case of electricity theft in the matter.
The SP said that shed owners who rent out their properties in rural areas have been advised to closely monitor activities taking place on their premises. Police are also taking the assistance of Police Patils to spread awareness about the dangers of drugs in villages. To curb the growing menace of narcotics, Satara Police have launched a dedicated drug awareness campaign across the district. Under this initiative, citizens are being informed about the harmful effects of drugs, and youth are being urged to stay away from such dangerous addictions.
Satara Police have appealed to citizens to immediately inform the police if they notice drug trafficking or any suspicious activity in their locality. They have also called upon every section of society to participate in the campaign and support the mission of creating a drug-free Satara. The awareness drive has been receiving a positive response from citizens, and several programs are being organised to spread awareness among youth about the dangers of narcotics.
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