Mumbai, July 28: Mumbai Police have uncovered a mephedrone manufacturing racket and seized 192 kilograms of the synthetic drug valued at ₹390 crore. The breakthrough came after months of investigation, culminating in a raid on a clandestine factory in Mysuru, Karnataka.
The crackdown began in April when a man was apprehended with 52 grams of mephedrone in Sakinaka, a suburb in western Mumbai. His arrest set off a chain of leads that resulted in three more detentions and the recovery of 4.53 kilograms of the banned substance, worth nearly ₹8 crore.
The investigation eventually led police to Salim Imtiyaaz Sheikh, alias Salim Langda, 45, who was arrested from Bandra Reclamation on July 25. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 10) Datta Nalawade, Sheikh’s interrogation revealed the location of a key facility in Mysuru.
“Sheikh took us to a structure on Ring Road in Mysuru that appeared to be a hotel or garage from the outside,” Nalawade said. “But inside, we discovered a fully operational mephedrone manufacturing unit. From there, the drug was being transported to Mumbai and nearby districts.”
The raid on July 26 led to the arrest of three more individuals from the site. In total, eight people have been taken into custody so far—five of them from Mumbai. All the accused have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Police believe the network is far from dismantled. “This is a large syndicate, and further arrests are expected,” DCP Nalawade stated. “We’re also investigating the origin of the chemical formula they used to manufacture the drug.”
Mephedrone, also known as meow-meow or MD, is a synthetic stimulant banned under Indian law. Its abuse has surged across urban centers in recent years, prompting intensified action from law enforcement agencies.
The discovery of a full-scale factory operating under the guise of a commercial establishment has raised fresh concerns about the sophistication of drug syndicates operating across state borders.
