In a significant crackdown, Neral Police have arrested five individuals for allegedly running an illegal mephedrone drug production unit from a rented house in Karjat taluka, Maharashtra. The seizure included drugs and lab equipment worth Rs 16.5 lakh.
The arrests came after villagers grew suspicious of the accused’s activities and confronted them. This confrontation led to a police investigation, resulting in their arrest. The sixth accused, identified as Laxman Fasar, the house owner, is currently absconding.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
Sachin Jaiswal (24)
Javed Shaikh (38)
Mohammed Zafar Mohammed Ali (39), Malad
Amit Kori (23), Sion
Bharat Jadhav (30), Shahpur
Notably, one of the arrested has a D-Pharma degree, which officials believe was used to set up the lab and handle drug synthesis professionally.
Police confirmed that the group was manufacturing mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The five have been remanded to police custody for a week.
An investigation is underway to locate the absconding landlord and determine the wider network connected to this illicit operation.
