INDIA. Mumbai: Three persons were arrested with 5.19 kg of mephedrone (MD) worth over Rs 10.03 crore in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) area in North West Mumbai, on Friday last, police said on Monday.
The accused were identified as Qamaruddin Sheikh, Riyaz Ansari, and Salman Khan. It was stated that Salman had been active in drug smuggling while he was out on bail.
According to the police, on March 17, the Worli unit of the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) received information on suspects in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, after which routine vigilance was maintained in the locality. The officials spotted three suspects in the area and, on suspicion, searched for the trio. The searches led to the recovery of mephedrone (also called MD or meow meow). The officials recovered 60 grams of the drug from one of the suspects, 100 grams from another suspect, and 110 grams were seized from the third suspect.
In further investigation, the ANC officials learned that one of the suspects had stored a huge quantity of MD in BKC. Based on the information they had, the police searched the suspect’s home and found about 4.749 kilos of MD. The total value of the drugs was stated to be Rs 10.03 crore in the international market.
Salman Khan has a past criminal record, and he was arrested in a case in 2021 in Nagpur and had secured bail. A case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act 1985 has been registered, and further investigation is on.
The operation was carried out by the team comprising police officers Sandeep Kale, Santosh Salunkhe, Amol Kadam, Shailesh Desai, and Ravindra Sawant.
The police said that the Mumbai Police has been taking strict action against drug peddling and drug smuggling in the city. The crime branch, its ANC, and the local police have increased their vigilance in the city against drug abuse.
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