The Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC), investigating the Rs 1400 crore drug haul, has found that the main accused had set up a tight grid of delivery spots on his home turf, where he would deliver the mephedrone as per order.
The biggest drug seizure of the year was made by the ANC this month, with the arrest of five accused, including a postgraduate in organic chemistry who was synthesising and selling mephedrone by the kilogram. The police seized over 700 kg of the contraband, also known as MD, from a godown in Nallasopara, close to the residence of the main accused.
According to ANC officers, the main accused had identified key spots around his godown, where he would deliver the drugs. The spots were necessarily located on familiar ground – never too far away from his storage space – where clients had to come to collect them.
“As he never accepted orders under 25 kg, the risk involved in moving the drugs was very high. Hence, one of his conditions was that the clients would have to collect the drugs from near his godown, and shoulder the risk of taking them back to their respective bases,” said an ANC officer who is part of the investigation. He added that this is just one more indication of how well thought-out and organised the racket was.
Call details to be checked
Over the last three years that the racket has been active, the accused is believed to have pumped MD by the ton into Mumbai and nearby areas, easily making the list of the biggest suppliers of the drug in the city. The police are now scanning his Call Detail Records (CDRs)to identify his clients, so that action can be taken against them as well.
His laboratory, however, is yet to be found. “We are conducting inquiries with the accused as well as employing other modes of investigation to find his laboratory, which is a crucial part of the probe. We have also found that his supply network had several more people in them, and we are looking for these suspects,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (ANC) Datta Nalawade said.
