Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai crime branch has arrested a 25-year-old man and seized 370 grams banned drug mephedrone (also known as meow meow), worth Rs 7.40 lakh, which was to be sold to college students in suburban Mumbai. They also seized cash of Rs 7.92 from the accused.
A team of Kandivali ANC, headed by Sunil Mane, arrested accused Suraj Gupta, a resident of Kalusingh Chawl in Khar at Goregaon check naka area on Wednesday with the contraband.
ANC officials said Gupta worked for a major MD supplier based in Kurla, whose name has been withheld. The officials said the kingpin was a peddler who rose to become a supplier and controls mephedrone peddling in the city.
“The said person allegedly gets the contraband from Gujarat and it is distributed among his network of peddlers that are spread in north, south, east and west parts of Mumbai. These persons have fixed customers in the city, mostly college students. Gupta has been peddling for the kingpin for six months and has sold at least 10 kg mephedrone ever since,” said an ANC officer on condition of anonymity.
The officials also seized cash of Rs 7.92 lakh from Gupta and they suspect that it was procured by selling part of the seized contraband.
“We are on the lookout of the main accused in the case who operates as a major supplier of mephedrone in Mumbai,” said Shivdeep Lande, deputy commissioner of police, ANC.
The officials have registered a case under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) against Gupta and others. Gupta was produced in a NDPS court on Thursday and remanded to police custody till Monday for further investigation.
