₹2.53 cr MD for celeb farmhouse seized
NAVI MUMBAI: What could have been a mega night at highprofile parties was busted by unit 3 of the Crime Branch of Navi Mumbai, with the arrest of three persons who were trying to sell MD (methaqualone powder) to organisers of New Year parties.
According to police source, the drug was to be delivered to the farmhouse in Panvel. MD drugs weighing 2.5 kg worth Rs 2.53 crore was seized by the accused. Police Commissioner Bipin Kumar Singh informed the media on Friday that the police also raided the factory in Poynad, which was started by the accused to make MD. The factory was then sealed by the police.
Among those arrested in the operation, Kalim Rafiq Khamkar (39), Zaki Afroz Pittu (33) and Subhash Raghupati Patil (40) have been identified. Senior police inspector Shatrughn Mali of unit 3 had received information about an accused coming to Nere village of Panvel to deliver drugs on Thursday evening.
Crime branch unit 3, AntiNarcotics Cell and Human Trafficking Cell jointly set a trap and arrested Khamkar.
The police found MD powder weighing 1.1 kg in a plastic bag in his car. They seized the car and the drugs and also arrested him.
He was later interrogated by the police, who informed that he had started a factory in Poynad area of Alibag Taluka in Raigad with the help of two other accomplices to manufacture MD powder.
On the basis of this information, the police raided the factory at Poynad and found MD powder weighing 500 grams each in the possession of Pittu and Patil. Also, 500 grams of MD powder was found in the dryer machine.
“The accused Patil, who was arrested in the case, had studied BSc Chemistry and was working in a chemical company.
It was there that he learned about making drugs. Investigations revealed that he started an MD powder factory two months ago.
CRIME BRANCH UNIT 3, ANTINARCOTICS CELL AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING CELL JOINTLY SET A TRAP AND ARRESTED KHAMKAR.